Wayne, You bring up a few items that are generally accepted... that is, by playing close to the bridge, one gets a brittle & nasty sound. We have all experienced this. But, to counter this thought, Toyohiko Satoh has done a great deal of work and research into this, and he has concluded that the paintings demonstrate playing by the bridge, because that is they way they played (some have suggested that the painters portrayed this technique by the bridge, to show off the rose, and that they did not play by the bridge).
Toyohiko was at the LSA seminar in Cleveland this past summer, and he is proof that this can be done... a great sound, very projective. He does this in part with lower tension of the strings... Maybe as low as 2.3 to 2.5 Kg per string. With a slacker string, it is not too bright. As well, it lowers the overall tension on the instrument, & is healthier for the longevity of the lute. He can get color characteristics ranging from brittle to sweet without moving his hand position. Yes, he can get a great sound in the practice room. I think we need to learn more about this. ed At 08:16 AM 10/12/2006 -0400, Wayne Cripps wrote: >If you look at pictures of lute players from 1600 -> 1700 > >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/icon/1600.html > >you will see that a lot of players back then played very >close to the bridge, which gives a tone that many of >us revivalists would consider "nasty," but which penetrates >quite well. I think the lute can be heard above the >ambient noise, from a distance, better than a >non-electric guitar can, if you use the right technique. >But that technique doesn't sound too good in the practice >room! > > Wayne > > > > > > > --- gary digman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I resolved > > > never to attend another > > > lute concert sponsored by Sfems because the lute > > > simply could not be heard > > > from more the 6 or 7 rows back where all the lute > > > players (who cannot afford > > > season tickets) were forced to sit. I refuse to pay > > > $40 for a ticket to > > > watch someone play a lute I cannot also hear. > > > > The volume of the instrument is not the issue. The > > approach of the player is. > > > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html Edward Martin 2817 East 2nd Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] voice: (218) 728-1202
