I think they're doable on lute plucked as usual although a ren guitar or a cittern would be more suitable for strumming, IMHO.
Sean On Oct 31, 2011, at 3:56 PM, Stuart Walsh <s.wa...@ntlworld.com> wrote: > How would a strummer strum chords to these tunes composed (arranged?) by > Gervaise in the 1550s? > > http://www.pluckedturkeys.co.uk/Gervaise/ > > They are strong melodies (Poulenc arranged some Gervaise dances for piano - > but not these particular tunes). Maybe you just strum a chord according to > the bass line. It's easy enough to work out what each chord would be. But > playing at speed it would be formidably difficult to actually play them > unless you were a Freddy Green-type professional. These Gervaise arrangements > are in four parts and, as it stands, the bass is very easy to play as a > single note. But really not so easy at all when the chords are changing very > quickly. > > But it's often said that strummers strummed in these, and even earlier, > times. And, if so, surely they would have strummed to accompany tunes like > this. Would they have strummed a chord for each note as dictated by the rules > of four part harmony? Or something simpler - but potentially more rhythmic? > > > Stuart > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
