Also some delightful quotes courtesy of Denys about using the thumb to stop the sixth fret. There are several iconography studies of lute where the authors poohpooh the "hanging thumb" as artistic misrepresentation or poor playing--just read Capirola!
"Alla volte el si puo accomodarsi su la corde contrabassa su ogni tasto" (Sometimes one can use it to play the contrabass string on any fret). Silvestro Ganassi also writes of this practise. dt >There is a great picture of a rounded v neck on the Gerle lute here >http://www.lutesandguitars.co.uk/htm/cat01.htm > >Perhaps UV would be a better term > >dt > > > >At 12:07 PM 11/6/2007, you wrote: > >Some of the old Martin OOO and Washburn parlor guitars also had the > >V-neck. I absolutely hated it. Only on sweaters and undershirts for > >me. -Dan > > > > > > > > >I prefer a thick neck and even a V neck on a 6 course. > > >If the V (rounded V) is done properly, it fits right into the hand, > > >and you can hang your thumb over the top a bit, just as it sometimes > > >appears in iconography (and is dismissed as artistic rendering). This > > >also permits the thumb to play the bass notes, which is fun although > > >I have no historical source for it. > > > > > >For 6 course thick neck, or V neck I prefer narrow spacing, but for a > > >6 course with UWS (ulta wide spacing) I prefer very slightly off > > >round, especiall under frets 1-3. > > > UWS is better for some pieces. > > > > > >The V neck is a very odd feeling for bar chords, so make sure you > > >really like it. > > >dt > > > > > > >-- > > > > > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at > >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html --
