Hi Daniel, Actually, on the German theorbo there is no high f', so the top interval is still a 4th, like on other continuo instruments. Also, because the 'normal' baroque tuning that we have in our minds (a d f a d f) is symmetrical - that is to say that the tuning of the top three strings reproduces itself exactly on the lower 3 strings of the petit jeu once we allow for octave equivalence - we only have to learn the fingerings for scales, melodic fragments, chord shapes, etc. one time (and only on 3 strings!) and then just repeat this knowledge lower down - and all of this is directly transferable to the German theorbo. This is in contrast to the other giraffe instrument tunings (Archlute: g c f a d g, It. Th: a d g b e a), which are *not* symmetrical, and thus, even though they may have one less internal interval then the d-minor tuning, they require contending with a greater number of open pitches (or as I call them, conceptual "starting bas(s)es" - sorry for the pun), and this is actually what proves more difficult in the end: indeed, each of these has 5 different open pitches as opposed to the d-minor tuning's 3. So even if, as you say, there is one more interval to deal with in the d-minor tuning than in archlute or Italian theorbo tuning (the latter is actually much more complicated than this due to the re-entrance), d-minor is still much more straghtforward conceptually. That said, the *most* important point, and the main thrust of what Weiss, Baron, and myself are saying (if I may put myself in such illustrious company with tongue firmly placed in cheek), is that if you are a d-minor player anyway, you can just re-use the tuning you already know for continuo, and not have to totally relearn the fretboard - and this is obviously by far the simplest thing to do!
Best, BN On 26/11/2007, Daniel Shoskes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Rob: I did go through a lot of the same questioning a year ago as I > was having my first continuo instrument built for me. I did enjoy > Benjamin's article and was tempted by the supposed ease at chord > forms and harmony. 13 course Baroque lute is my primary solo > instrument and there was a definite appeal. The primary argument > against, made by more senior and experienced mentors, was that the > interval of a third between the top two courses can make counterpoint > and voice leading much more difficult. Thus, "If you wanted to add a > small melodic interjection between two phrases, you have to contend, > in each key, with the fact that there are three different interval > structures between strings, (fourth, minor third and major third). > There are basically only two on a normal archlute, fourths and a > major third, and your neither your bass lines nor your treble > improvisations normally cross over this divide. Most stay pretty > much to one side or the other. Thus when you hear an idea in your > head you can often finger it intuitively. On baroque lute each > moving bass line is fingered differently in each key as it crosses > the strings." > > Other reason I settled against a d minor continuo instrument: much > longer string length for a "roman" lute (80 cm or more) which is > tough for my stubby hands. > > DS > > > On Nov 24, 2007, at 12:32 PM, Rob wrote: > > > Actually, I've been giving it a lot of thought as I have a theorbo > > on order > > from Malcolm Prior, being made right now, and due to be stuffed > > down my > > chimney by Santa. At first I just asked for an Italian-style > > instrument, and > > we settled on the Koch at 86cms. Then I started getting into the > > idea of the > > d minor tuning without the chanterelle. Malcolm and I looked at > > various > > supposed 'Deutsche Theorboes', and Andreas Schlegel and others > > mentioned the > > very same Koch we had chosen for our Italian model. I can't afford two > > theorboes (few people can) so it seems a good compromise would be > > the Koch, > > with which I could change tunings - obviously not in the same gig :-) > > > > It seems a period of experimentation lies ahead. I'm just wondering > > what > > your experience of Dm continuo is, pros and cons, what works, what > > doesn't. > > Do you play more melodic counterpoint to the melody, or arpeggios? > > Is there > > a different overall feel as compared to accompanying the same music > > on an > > Italian tuning? Do you play without a chanterelle? > > > > Etc, > > Rob > > > > www.rmguitar.info > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > -- Benjamin Narvey Luthiste: http://www.luthiste.com --
