Thanks for this Thomas. Assuming Bach either misunderstood the lowest tuning of the
Baroque lute (which I very much doubt) not being an Gg but rather a Aa, or was in
contact with such a 14 course instrument. Just how low can the instrument be tuned
down to take advantage of low bass strings for musical affect on the instrument? My
thumb with little finger JUST manages the stretch to reach those low Gs, but I find
that - say in the final bars of BWV 995 my hand assumes a guitarist-like position. I
had once thought of adding a fifteenth course a very low Ff, but in the end musically
what would this achieve?
Any suggestions on the value of a very low Ff?
Regards,
Michael Stitt
Thomas Schall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Dear Miles,
Zamboni wrote for an Archlute which is tuned in the "vielle tone"
("renaissance" tuning) while Michael tunes his instrument in the "new"
(d-minor) tuning.
Archlutes are usually 14-ch., I also know about 15-ch. examples (for
example in Paris - take a look at the website of David van Edwards and
search for liito attiorbato and you'll find fotos of replica).
There are a lot of other differences to the baroque (d-minor) lute
(barring, usual number of ribs etc.) and I think one need to name them
as different instruments.
best wishes
Thomas
Am Mon, 2004-01-05 um 19.45 schrieb Miles Dempster:
> Dear Michael,
>
>
> Zamboni' s sonatas very occasionally use a 14th course.
>
> Regards
>
>
> Miles Dempster
>
>
> On Sunday, January 4, 2004, at 09:29 PM, Michael Stitt wrote:
>
> > Dear all,
> >
> > Am I right to assume that Bach's music is the only music to require
> > that low Gg - fourteeth course?
> >
> > The ambiguity and terminology of description for this lute has always
> > been a bit of problem for me. When asked what instrument I play and
> > Courses versus `number of strings', it becomes a mouthful. I am
> > asked: `What instrument do you play?' I play a 14 course German
> > theorbo, is usually my reply. But then explaining that each course
> > has two `doubled-up' strings but the first two are single, making a
> > sum total of twenty-six NOT twenty-eight strings... Then there is
> > `fourteen course??!' - I thought the Baroque lute has thirteen
> > courses? My response is: `Yes, a Gg tp play Bach's BWV 995, 1997, &
> > 1000' Almost finally, but is it really a theorbo or a Baroque lute?
> > `Yes it is a theorbo because it has the extra bass pegbox'. Why the
> > German bit? `It is based on a lute constructed by JCHoffmann who was
> > German...'. End of breath...
> >
> >
> > I bet a guitarist does not get this, six strings will do! hehe.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Michael Stitt
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
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> >
--
Thomas Schall
Niederhofheimer Weg 3
D-65843 Sulzbach
06196/74519
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.lautenist.de / www.tslaute.de/weiss
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