Dear Caroline: Actually I think you have gotten it right. The Lute can be played thumb out and was played that way in Dowlands time. As to the nails, your approach is probably correct as long as you do not get the annoying click, click, click of nails on soft strings and you are able to play both strings in a course.
Vance Wood. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Caroline Chamberlain" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2004 9:07 PM Subject: Right hand technique/Instrument sounding > Dear Lute Listers > > I just do not understand how to play the lute courses with the right hand > side of the fingers. Is this technique really necessary? And, as a > guitarist who wants to keep playing the guitar, must I learn the thumb > inside technique for the Renaissance lute? > > Nails have always been a problem for me as mine are weak and constantly > splitting. Somehow, I have got around the problem, using the edge of the > finger with the support of only a tiny bit of nail. Certainly the skin in > that area, where nail meets finger, is a little harder than on the other > side. I've never really analyzed exactly what I do, but I seem to be able > to get reasonable tone and volume. I don't think that for lute playing, I > need to get rid of the (shortish) nails that I do have. > > Many thanks, > > Regards > > Caroline > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
