Sorry for deviating off topic. I agree that our opinions of the technique are of no relevance to historic discussion.
To turn back on track, I would like to privide you with this rough translation from Romuald Truskolaski's Method (1820): ABOUT RIGHT HAND. One should lay the midle of forearm down on the edge of the guitar and place the little finger on the soundboard two inches (1) from the bridge and a good inch from the strings. Other fingers are to be placed as follows: Thumb on the thickest string (bass E), first or index on G, second on B and the third finger on chanterelle (2) that is an E. For playing one uses mostly the thumb for wounded strings and the following three fingres for the unwounded strings; there are exceptions from this rule, that will become clear when we will come to the exercises for the right hand; even the little finger is not always placed on the soundboard, as explained in the footnote to the Excercise No. 37. The most common error in the position of right hand is that a player curves his hand downwards in the wrist so much that he places the hand near the palm on the bridge, while, quite the contrary, the hand should be curved upwards, not touching the bridge nor the soundboard and be curved. (Footnote to Excercise No. 37) In Allegros where one finds arpeggios of six or eight notes that require frequent use of the third finger, one's little finger is removed from the soundboard thus allowing for greater speed and equality of the performance. NOTES: (1) I do not know the exact measure of an inch here. It can differ from todays inch up to 15% this way or the other. (2) Truskolaski did not use the term "chanterelle". I used it as an equivalent to the orginal term "fifth", that was in use for the highest string of stringed instruments, but especially in case of violins. It is preserved in the saying, literally going "to put ones nose down to the fifth", meaning "to be sad". ---------------------------------------------------- Masz telefon na karte? A czy wiesz, ¿e MOZESZ DO£ADOWAÆ GO DOWOLN¡ KWOT¡!? - koniec sztywnych stawek - zobacz na: http://klik.wp.pl/?adr=http%3A%2F%2Fdoladowania.wp.pl&sid=536 To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
