Thank you Rob for the heads-up on Martin's timely reminder of just what lutes Dowland used- ESPECIALLY the 10 fret, 9-course w/ doubled 1st. This information has been readily available to all of us- luthiers, players, scholars, since 1958, when Schott & Co. first re-published the "Varietie" in staff transcription & tab facsimile. Ever since I got my copy, (unthinkable eons ago), a part of me has always been annoyed at the lack of 10 fret, 9 course, double-1st "Late Dowland" model lutes in builder's line ups (with 10 course option, as the French nation hath added one course the more). I suppose the lack of such actual lutes amongst the remaining historical specimens?
Practically speaking, having once owned a lute (my first) that had 9 courses, having D still as the 8th course made fingering some bass notes possible (a 7th fret "A" in a Robert Johnson fantasy being the most potent example) which wouldn't be possible- for me- with 10 courses- but then anyone playing the lute parts in the Lachrimae will notice how much less re-tuning of the basses is required if 10 courses are available. Sometimes the 9th is at low "C", sometimes up to "D", and the 8th can be Eb, E, or D. So still the eternal question for the poor, out-of-time 21st century lute student- which damned lute model do I get THIS time? I also have always thought Dowland's explanation of the unison 6th course, and no implication that it applied to lower basses, perfectly clear- yet where else could the idea arise that unison 6ths were mainly an English phenomenon but from a sloppy reading of Dowland? >Luthier, Martin Shepherd, has contributed a thought-provoking essay on >Dowland's lutes (which also touches on string lengths, pitches, etc) to the >John Dowland website. I'm sure Martin would be very happy to answer any >questions you have after reading it. Please use this discussion group for >your questions, so that we can all read the correspondence. > >Other contributions very welcome. A thousand thanks to Martin for his >continued contributions to the site. A few other performers and researchers >have promised material for later in the year. > >Rob MacKillop -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
