Bumbass
Encyclopedia
The bladder fiddle is a folk instrument
used throughout Europe. The instrument was a simple large monochord
made with a long stick, a thick gut string
, and a pig's bladder. It is bowed with either a notched stick or a horsehair bow
. It is known under different names; in Germany
it was called the bumbass, in France
the basse de Flandre, and in England
simply a drone
or "drone and string". In Germany sometimes a bell or cymbal was added to the top. In England it was used by traveling musicians.
A related instrument was preserved amongst the Pennsylvania Dutch
(German immigrant to the rural Eastern United States), and is known as a boom-ba
.
Folk instrument
A folk instrument is an instrument that developed among common people and usually doesn't have a known inventor. It can be made from wood, metal or other material. It is a part of folk music...
used throughout Europe. The instrument was a simple large monochord
Monochord
A monochord is an ancient musical and scientific laboratory instrument. The word "monochord" comes from the Greek and means literally "one string." A misconception of the term lies within its name. Often a monochord has more than one string, most of the time two, one open string and a second string...
made with a long stick, a thick gut string
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
, and a pig's bladder. It is bowed with either a notched stick or a horsehair bow
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
. It is known under different names; in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
it was called the bumbass, in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
the basse de Flandre, and in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
simply a drone
Drone (music)
In music, a drone is a harmonic or monophonic effect or accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout most or all of a piece. The word drone is also used to refer to any part of a musical instrument that is just used to produce such an effect.-A musical effect:A drone...
or "drone and string". In Germany sometimes a bell or cymbal was added to the top. In England it was used by traveling musicians.
A related instrument was preserved amongst the Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
(German immigrant to the rural Eastern United States), and is known as a boom-ba
Boom-ba
The boom-ba is a type of bladder fiddle, known throughout the Pennsylvania Dutch culture of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The instrument focuses heavily on loud percussion, typically consisting of a variety of percussion instruments attached to a wooden pole. The exact designs of a boom-ba...
.