lira da braccio: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare / TechnicalAcademic / Historical / Musicological
Quick answer
What does “lira da braccio” mean?
A bowed string instrument of the Renaissance period, similar to a large violin, typically held against the shoulder or arm.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A bowed string instrument of the Renaissance period, similar to a large violin, typically held against the shoulder or arm.
A specific family of bowed instruments from the late 15th to 16th centuries, characterized by a broad, often flat body, a leaf-shaped pegbox, and typically having between five and seven strings, used for accompaniment and dance music.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences; identical usage in both British and American academic contexts.
Connotations
Technical, historical, pertaining to early music.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, confined to specialist literature on Renaissance music.
Grammar
How to Use “lira da braccio” in a Sentence
The [adjective] lira da braccioto play [on] the lira da braccioaccompanied by a lira da braccioVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Academic
A standard term in music history and organology for this specific instrument.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Precisely defined in organology; refers to instruments with specific physical and tuning characteristics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “lira da braccio”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “lira da braccio”
- Pronouncing 'braccio' with a hard 'c' (like 'cat') instead of /tʃ/.
- Using it as a general term for any string instrument.
- Confusing it with the 'lira da gamba' (a larger, leg-held instrument).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but only by specialists in historically informed performance who use modern reproductions of the instrument.
Typically between five and seven strings, with two of them often serving as unstopped drone strings.
It means 'of the arm', indicating the instrument is held against the shoulder or arm, unlike 'da gamba' ('of the leg').
No. It is a distinct, older instrument with a different shape, string count, tuning, and sound. It is considered an ancestor of the violin family.
A bowed string instrument of the Renaissance period, similar to a large violin, typically held against the shoulder or arm.
Lira da braccio is usually academic / historical / musicological in register.
Lira da braccio: in British English it is pronounced /ˌlɪərə də ˈbrætʃɪəʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌlɪrə də ˈbrætʃioʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'LIRA played on the BRACCIO' (arm in Italian). It's an ARM-held LYRE with a bow.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY (it represents a specific, historically distant artifact).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'lira da braccio' primarily?