In a message dated 8/1/04 10:28:08 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << Sorry for ruining your argument with mere empiricism, but I'm looking at the facsimile of Toccata Prima as I write. Every chord with a arpeggio symbol has exactly four notes. Four shalt thou play, and the number of the counting shall be four. Three shall thou not play, except that thou than proceedest to four. Five is right out... >>
Howard.. you must be looking at the toccata from Libro Primo, yes in that piece all of the arpeggiated chords are 4 note chords.. But in Toccata 1 from Libro Quarto (which I happened to have been playing today) there are numerous 4, 5, an 6 note chords with arpeggio symbols. In fact the opening chord has 6 notes with the arpeggio symbol. If you also look at his Libro Primo Di Arie á Una Voce Sola con Intavolatura del Chitarone you will see many 4, 5 & 6 note chords with the arpeggio symbol. What are interesting are the instructions in his Book 3 (1626). Here he begins by showing how to play 4 note arpeggios (in ascending order) but then he gives examples of 5, 6 & 7 note chords where he mixes up the order. ex. 1 - under "piu corde" (which essentially conforms to your statement) -------------------- --2---------------- ----0-------------- ---------------0--- -------3----------- -----------2------- ex. 2 - this begins to alter the order by going to the E on the 2nd string after the A on the 4th 0-------------------- ---2----------------- ------2-------------- -----------------1--- ----------0---------- -------------0------- ex. 3 - this is a 7 note ascending arpeggio which uses double repeated notes -0- ----2-------------------- -------0----------------- ----------0-------------- ----------------------0--- --------------3----------- ------------------2------- after this he give two examples of 3 note chords which are very interesting: ------------------- ------------------- ----------2--------- --2--------------- ------------------- ------0------------- and ------------------- ------------------- -----------4------- --3--------------- ------------------- ------0------------ he then states: Dove sono piu di tre corde sensa il segno del arpeggiare si toccan le prima col pollice con ribattere le ultime tre cogionte. Literally (at least as best as I can get it at this late hour): Where there are more than three notes without the arpeggio sign play the first note with the thumb 'with to' return (the thumb) the final three plucks. A more eloquent (not to mention coherent) way of putting this is: Where there are more than three notes without the arpeggio sign play the first note with the thumb and play the final notes beginning with the thumb. He give this example: this chord: ------------------- -2----------------- -0---------------- ----------------- -0----------------- -3--------------- to be played: ------------------- -2----------------- --------0-------- ----------------- --------0---------- --------3---------- As you have pointed out, his fingerings are always P M I, but I can't figure out how to show this using a computer. One last point about the arpeggio symbol and such instructions. In Domenico Pellegrini's Guitar book (Bologna1650) he uses the same symbol as Kapsberger but gives the example of going from the 5th to the first course and then back to the fifth (by the way I am a firm believer in having both a high and low octave on the 5th course for most Italian , and Spanish, baroque guitar music). I don't have it handy but if I remember correctly it looks like this: -2---------------------2-- ---0----------------0----- -----0-----------0------- --------3-----3--------- -----------3-------------- In Michelangelo Bartolotti's Secondo Libro (1655 Rome), which I do have in front of me, he gives this example: -2---------------------- ---0-------------------- -----0-----------0----- --------3-----3--------- -----------3---------3-- That's all for now...time for sleep. Richard Savino
