Also, some of us are playing 6-course *alto* lutes, which have a distinctly different sound (much brighter) than the darker sound you typically get most eight course instruments. I have a 6-course alto (by Andrei Perkhounkov) that I love for much of the the early-to-middle 16th century repertoire. The shorter string length doesn't hurt, either. I also have an 8-course 61cm tenor, but I mostly use that for Elizabethan music, not the earlier stuff.
Guy ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2006 2:15 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: 6 course > > For me, it is so much in the quality of the way the six course lute > responds, with a simpler bar pattern in the soundboard, a less > "complicated" sound > with more emphasis on the fundamental, less in the higher frequencies, and > a > good volume balance between all the courses, that seem on equal terms in > volume and ability to articulate the bass, treble and all the range in > between. > Using octaves down to the 4th course also helps. I find it much more > straightforward to phrase the repertoire for six course ON a six course. > > In the same way, I find it much easier to articulate the repertoire for > the > 11 course lute on the 11 course, rather than a 13 course. > > Kenneth Be > > > > In a message dated 2/18/2006 4:40:22 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > On Feb 18, 2006, at 1:15 PM, Daniel Shoskes wrote: > > > So, I'm glad that people who have 6 course lutes are thrilled with > > their instruments. What I don't fully understand is why the 6 course > > literature is "so much easier" to play on a 6 course lute. I have an > > 8 course that I love: great sound, fits my hands well, guitarists > > look at it and are freaked out by how many strings there are (until I > > bring out my 13 course!). My only difficulty in playing early 6 > > course music is some of the left hand stretches. But wouldn't the > > solution to that problem be a shorter string length rather than fewer > > courses? What are the other advantages people find from their 6 > > course lutes that is missing from their 8 course lutes (of equal > > quality)? > > > > DS > > > > > -- > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
