"Vamp"

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famous beagle

famous beagle

Well-known member
Hey y'all,

I know what this term means in music, but I was wondering about its origins. I've read that it comes from the Middle English word "vampe," which means "sock." But I don't understand how that ties it to the musical application of an improvised accompaniment on repetetive changes.

Any ideas?
 
famous beagle said:
Hey y'all,

I know what this term means in music, but I was wondering about its origins. I've read that it comes from the Middle English word "vampe," which means "sock." But I don't understand how that ties it to the musical application of an improvised accompaniment on repetetive changes.

Any ideas?
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Because listening to a vamp makes one want to sock the guitarist? :D
 
Yeah, vampe is Middle English, although, while it refers to footwear, I'm not sure if it refers to 'sock.' It's a cobbler's term, used to refer to the leather covering a certain portion of shoes. It's also a verb - "to vamp" means to stitch something together (in this case, parts of leather).

This is just a wild guess, but it is possible that the notion of "stitching something together" became associated with composition of a musical variety.

Sorry, it's been a while since I studied Middle English or linguistics. that's the best I can manage for now.
 
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