Chris, I haven't noticed a direct reply coming in to your question about the harp mechanism - if one did, could you pass it on, please? The idea is intriguing, as the harp mechanism I've seen on harps is a hook fitted into the harmonic curve of the instrument, which you can turn to touch the string at the right distance for a semitone up. More sophisticated versions exist, but one way or another they are fitted to the top block of wood at the wrest pin end. The koto-ji propostions are at the bridge end and it is easy to see that they are workable. Try as I might, I cannot see anywhere on my theorbo that I could attach a harp mechanism, short of building a sort of gantry out from the neck which would be out of reach, or having holes in the sounboard!
Tony ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 1:24 AM Subject: Re: technical problems on lute-theorbo (+theorbo) > Michael, > > Just curious about the harp-like device that Tim > Crawford mentioned to you for raising a diapason up a > 1/2 step. Would you mind describing it? I've seen > these sorts of things on various harps and wondered > how it might apply to my situation. Is it something > that one could rig up on their own? I have a > 14-course theorbo (only six on the fingerboard) and > I'm getting a little annoyed at having to take the > instrument off, stand up and re-tune if I need an F# > or G# consistently in a piece. This can be especially > distracting to other players in tight quarters. > I wonder if the harp-device would attach down at > the bridge, which would be reasonable as long as it > wasn't too big and wouldn't get in the way when it > wasn't being used. In that case, you could even > engage it while in the course of a piece, given enough > time. Even if the sound would be somewhat > compromised, it would be worth it to avoid some of the > hastle. > I don't know if this would even have been > considered in the historical days. At any rate, I > think that the "oldens" were more practical than we > give them credit sometimes. > > > Chris Wilke > --- Michael Stitt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Donatella, > > > > I checked out at a glance so far your tab version of > > BWV 996 and looks nice! > > > > There has been a real flowering of lute tablature of > > Bach's music. Clive Titmuss has been active and > > completed - quite recently, a playable version of > > BWV 1012 - the sixth cello suite. For beginners > > out there - be warned - this is not easy stuff! > > > > As for 996, it used to be my favourite and not too > > difficult on the classical guitar. For some strange > > reason I fnd it very hard on the Baroque lute. I > > worked out that it is not so much the technical > > PLAYING difficulty, but rather the problem of > > realisation on my fourteen course theorbo-lute. > > Since I note - your instrument, Donatella, is also a > > swan neck, you too problem run into the difficulty > > of not having D sharp bass, resulting in an > > unavoidable interruption of the passagio - opening > > prelude. Tim Crawford once gave an interesting > > solution to this, which is to attach a device - > > similar to one used by harpists, which stops the > > string. I haven't quite done this as yet! > > > > My temporary solution is to play the D# an octave > > higher, and although not perfect, is acceptable. > > You encounter this problem also in the Courante. > > > > As for the sxth cello suite, this is beautiful stuff > > on the lute and in the key of D Major makes it a > > warm and beautiful work to play. It has been said > > before that Bach wrote some of his finest and > > brighter sounding music in this key. The Magnificat > > is one such example. The prelude has the same > > intensity and virtuosic feel as that of BWV 1006a > > IMHO. > > > > Cheers. > > > > Michael Stitt > > http://bachplucked.com/lutenist/ > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes > http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus > >
