I wrote: > I believe Kapsberger's instructions were to use the index finger on the > fourth note, since the last note of the arpeggio is on the third or fourth > course, even when it isn't the highest note.
Chris Wilke, wisely considering me an unreliable source, writes: > t4, i2, m1, i3 makes perfect sense. This way, > the arpeggio ascends from bass to treble in the > correct order. However, what if the arpeggio does not > involve these strings? In that case because of the > re-entrant tuning, the order of the notes will not > always proceed from low to high. Therefore, do we > know whether Kapsperger and Piccinini are trying to > say that a)arpeggiated chords should ALWAYS ascend > from low to high in proper musical order Interesting that you assume that highest to lowest is "proper musical order." Any particular reason for that? > or that b)the > theorbist should ALWAYS use the same right hand finger > order regardless of the musical result? (...and I > know that "always" is a dangerous word.) If I recall > correctly Paul O'Dette seems to opt for option B in > his recording of the Arpeggio Toccata. Is this his > take on it, or is there clearer historical evidence of > the practice? Neither O'Dette's take nor historical practice, but Kapsberger's instructions. Kapsberger gives examples of how to arpeggiate three different chords on page 4 of his first book of chitarrone tablature. The third example is: --2------------ --------------- ---------3----- ----3---------- -------3------- --------------- I'll explain for non-theorbists who may, for whatever reasons, be reading this, that these notes are B (second line bass clef) d (above middle c) G - G (same pitch, both below middle C). The highest note is the second. Nothing unclear about this. What is less clear, since Kapsberger's examples do not include rhythm signs, is whether the arpeggios should be rhythmic -- i.e. four more or less equal-length notes, as opposed to sounding like a rolled chord. Jakob Lindberg pointed out the second possibility to me when I brought the Toccata Arpeggiata to a lesson once, but I've never heard anyone, including Jakob, perform it that way. I don't recall what, if anything, Piccinini had to say on the subject. HP
