Bandora Music in the Sixteenth Century

• Works for the Bandora

• Composers for the Bandora

The bandora (sometimes called the pandora) is a plucked chordophone with metal strings and a distinctive scalloped body outline. The first bandoras were made in London in the 1560s. It was used as part of the mixed consort, as an accompaniment to songs, and as a solo instrument.

The bandora was normally strung with six courses (pairs of strings) tuned to the following intervals: second, fourth, fourth, major third, fourth (from bass to treble). There is also a seven course instrument with an extra bass course.

Bandora Tablature

There are two known sources of bandora music in the sixteenth century: William Barley's A New Booke of Tabliture for the Bandora (London, 1596) and Thomas Morley's The first booke of consort lessons (London, 1599). Barley uses French lute tablature for the seven-course instrument, with the sixth course tuned to Bb, while Morley calls for the six-course "pandora," tuned a step higher:

Barley 1596

g'= _______a_________________________
d'= _________________________________
bb= ____________b____________________
f = _________________________________
c = _________________________________
Bb= __________________c______________
F =                           d    

Morley 1599

a'= _________________________________
e = ____________b____________________
c = _________________________________
g = _________________________________
D = ___________________c_____________
C = __________________________d______