Hmmm.. Tab may be hard to memorize (don't know - never tried), but music isn't, lol. IMO, if you need to read to play in performance you don't know the music and you might as well just program it into a sequencer (which can read it much more accurately than you can).
> Dear Stewart and list, > > The quote from the Burwell lute Book brings up another topic here: > performing lute music in concert by memory. I've read the argument > that tablature is difficult to memorize...who knows? > > Do you prefer to have the tablature always in front of you? > Personally, I'm leaning more and more in the direction of performing > by memory. > > David Rastall > > > On May 3, 2006, at 6:16 PM, Stewart McCoy wrote: > >> Dear Manolo and Katherine, >> >> Mouton's coat certainly gives him the choice of several buttons to >> hook his lute on. >> >> One important factor not mentioned so far in this discusison, is how >> people sat to play the lute. When this was discussed on the Italian >> Lute Net in January 2004, I made the point that lutenists were >> expected to sit up straight, and not crouch over the lute, hugging >> it as so many of us do, with footstools to boot. There is less need >> for straps and gut tied between two buttons, if you sit hunched over >> the instrument. If you sit up straight, there is less of you to hold >> the instrument, less purchase (in the grabbing sense), and more >> reason to have extra paraphernalia to stop the lute slipping away. I >> quoted a passage from folio 16r of the Burwell Lute Book, which runs >> as follows: >> >> "Those that are short sighted or have a short memory are bound to >> have allwayes there [=their] nose on there booke and soe they may >> fall into that inconveniency Therefore wee must be diligent to take >> them out by the booke and practise them soe well as we may play them >> by heart and learne the time and humour of the Lesson by the Eare >> that one might looke chearfully uppon the Company and not stoope The >> grace and chearfullnes in playing not being lesse pleaseing then >> [=than] the playing it selfe One must then sitt upright in playing >> to showe noe Constrainte or paines, to have a smileing Countenance >> that the Company may not thinke that you play unwillingly and showe >> that you animate the Lute aswell as the Lute does animate you yet >> you must not stirre your body nor your head nor showe any extreame >> satisfaction in your playing You must make noe mouthes nor bite your >> lipps nor cast your hands in a flourishing manner that relishes of a >> fidler in one word you must not lesse please the Eyes then the >> Eares" >> >> It's a pity (but understandable) that we can't send attachments to >> the list, otherwise everyone could see Kenneth's picture of a >> 17th-century lutenist. The young man is sitting up quite straight. >> His eyes are not on his instrument, and there is no music in sight. >> One imagines he would perform like a singer, looking around the room >> as he played, not with his head buried behind a book of music, or >> constantly staring at the movement of his left-hand fingers. >> >> I am sure Mary Burwell was right. What we see at a concert is an >> important part of the performance. As performers we think of the >> clothes we should wear, and how we should present ourselves. We may >> shake with nerves and regret a host of wrong notes, but we still >> look cheerful, smile, and politely acknowledge applause. When people >> describe a concert to someone afterwards, they usually describe what >> they saw, rather than what they heard: "He wore a pink bow-tie, and >> kept scowling at the audience," rather than, "He played out of time >> with a splat every bar." >> >> Anyway, I think there's more to those bits of gut tied behind the >> lute, than meets the eye. >> >> Best wishes, >> >> Stewart. > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.rastallmusic.com > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > -- http://DoctorOakroot.com - Rough-edged songs on homemade GIT-tars.
