Allemande facts for kids
The Allemande (pronounced ah-leh-MAHND) is a type of dance that was very popular a long time ago. It was especially common in Baroque music, which was popular in the 1600s and early 1700s. The word "Allemande" comes from the French word for "German."
What is an Allemande?
Composers during the Baroque period often wrote groups of dances called a suite. A suite was like a collection of different dance pieces played one after another. Usually, a suite would include an Allemande, followed by a courante, a sarabande, and a gigue. Sometimes, there were other dances too. A suite might even start with a prelude, which is an introductory piece of music, before the Allemande began.
How Allemandes Were Played
The Allemande was typically played at a medium speed. It wasn't too fast, and it wasn't too slow. Most of the time, it had four beats in each bar (this is called 4/4 time). Sometimes, it had two beats in each bar (2/2 time). An interesting thing about the Allemande is that it often started with an anacrusis. This means the music began with one or a few notes that came just before the first main beat of the bar. It's like a little musical "upbeat" before the main part starts.
Images for kids
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Allemande rhythm.
See also
In Spanish: Alemanda para niños
