Dear Ed and all:
I have to contribute my two cents worth of opinion here. I am firm in the
belief that no one from the 16th through 18th centuries really cared a whit
about proper right-hand technique, other than doing what is necessary to
produce a pleasing tone. The question of 'what is historically appropriate
right-hand technique?' is entirely a modern day phenomenon, created in the
1970s so lutenists could distinguish themselves from guitarist who 'doubled' on
the lute.
There is ample evidence that 'thumb under' technique was preferred up until the
time additional bass courses added to lutes became commonplace. It is a matter
of practicality that the thumb must take a different position to accomodate
additional bass courses. We know from his published works that Dowland's lute
employed 7 to 9 courses. This has to be the reason he was described as using a
'thumb out' technique towards the end of his life. I don't think I'm the first
one to point this out.
It is now the 21st century, and we are far enough away from the 'lutenist
versus guitarist' issue of the 1970s that I think we can safely put it to rest.
Maybe we should be asking ourselves, 'How can we get more young people
interested in playing the lute?'
Best wishes,
Ron Andrico
http://www.mignarda.com
> Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2008 23:52:32 +0900> To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> From: [EMAIL
> PROTECTED]> Subject: [LUTE] Re: RH on the bridge?> > Playing the devil's
> advocate here, I've always found it hard to > believe the best lute player in
> the world (some must have thought > so), Dowland, would change his technique
> suddenly. Maybe the sources > got it wrong or were purposefully misleading?
> What would be his > motivation to change?> > Just a sec, let me get my flame
> shield.> > On Dec 17, 2007, at 7:19 PM, Martin Eastwell wrote:> > I would
> tend to assume that a player like Dowland would not go off > > on a> >
> European tour having just made a major technical change.> > > > Ed Durbrow>
> Saitama, Japan> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/> > > >
> --> > To get on or off this list see list information at>
> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
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