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A gently pulsed bow stroke: several notes carried in one bow, each slightly separated, usually written as lines (sometimes dots) under a slur. As a movement title, Loure names a slow French dance, usually in 6/4.
As a bowing, louré is rarely written as a word: it is notated with lines (sometimes dots) under a slur, each note slightly separated within one bow, and lasts as long as that slur. As a word, Loure most often appears as a movement title in a Baroque suite.
Also spelled: loure, lourer
Notate the bowing with lines under a slur when you want a gentle pulse on each note without re-articulating the bow — good for expressive repeated notes and singing lines that need a little definition. Dots under a slur sound lighter, and many players read them as portato, so pick the sign for the weight you want. The dance is slow, usually in 6/4, with an upbeat and dotted rhythms, as in Bach’s Partita No. 3 for solo violin and French Suite No. 5.
Bach, Partita No. 3 in E major for solo violin, BWV 1006, second movement: headed “Loure” — the dance title, between the Preludio and the Gavotte en Rondeau.
Louré is one of 1755 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary: the words, abbreviations and instrument names that appear in printed scores, plus the vocabulary composers use to talk about them.
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