Dear Everybody, not sure if this has been discussed before, as the archives are unavailable currently. In John Danyels 1606 publication, there is a piece on the last pages (22-3) with a special lute tuning. It is a solo piece (variations on Greensleeves), and Danyel gives a chart with the intervals, but no pitches.
Translated into pitch, the tuning would possibly be: 1. B4 - F#4 - D4 - A3 - D3 - C3 | A2 - G2 - C2 Or 2. E4 - B3 - G3 - D3 - G2 - F2 | D2 - C2 - G1 Or 3. D4 - A3 - F3 - C3 - F2 - Eb2 | C2 - Bb1 - F1 The first line is based on the lowest bass string on lutes at the time (C2). In that case, the 1st course would be higher (and thinner) than gut strings can be made for a G-lute with VSL of about 58-63 cm. The 2nd and 3rd lines are based on the lowest bass strings for the chitarrone or the archlute. In that case, the 1st course has the pitch of a tenor lute. Played with the 1st course as B4, the variations on Greensleeves would be in C-major, and played with the 1st course as E4, the variations would be in F-major. Of course, one might argue that somewhere in the middle is a sensible compromise, i. e. 1st course G4 with the 9th course Bb1. That way, however, Danyel's Greensleeves would be in A-flat-major. A bit awkward for 1606 IMO. My questions are: 1. Is there evidence of very small 9c lutes (about 50 cm VSL) in Britain around 1600? (First line of tuning) 2. Is there evidence of theorboed 9c lutes (not to speak of Britain around 1600)? (2nd and 3rd lines of tuning) Mathias To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
