Thanks for the reference, Bill. There have been new discoveries since the time the article was written, where we now cannot claim that vihuelas were string in unison. Some were, others were not. They may have had the double first course, but there is evidence to the contrary that some vihuelas were string in octaves on 4,5, and 6th courses.
ed At 12:02 PM 11/20/2011, William Samson wrote: > I've found the reference - Segerman and Abbott, FoMRHI Comm number 30, > July 1976 > [1]http://www.fomrhi.org/uploads/bulletins/Fomrhi-004.pdf > > They say (p37) "Instruments which come to mind that had double first > courses and unison basses were > 1. Vihuela > 2. Robinson (1603) and Dowland (1610) lute. > 3. At least some late 16th century Italian lutes. . . . ." > > They give references on which they base these statements. > > Interesting stuff. What I find odd is that we've been channelled into > a mindset where just about all 6c lutes built nowadays have single > first courses and octaves on 6, 5 and 4. Lutes with 7 or more courses > have unisons on 5, 4, 3, 2 and a single first, and octaves from 6 > downwards. 11 and 13 c lutes have single 1st and second courses but > 12c lutes have double second courses. All very formulaic and I'm as > guilty as anyone of following these 'rules'. But there's plenty of > evidence of more varied configurations in use at the time, and it would > be surprising if there wasn't. It's a pity that these differences > don't show up in modern practice, though I fully understand why - > resale value for example, and maybe an assumption that as these seem to > have ended up as the most successful configurations at the time, > there's no need to explore anything else. > > Bill > > PS Oh yes - and octave stringing works out cheaper too :o) > From: Daniel Winheld <dwinh...@comcast.net> > To: William Samson <willsam...@yahoo.co.uk> > Cc: "lute@cs.dartmouth.edu" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > Sent: Sunday, 20 November 2011, 17:05 > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Double 1st string on 6 course lutes? > >> " I seem to remember that lutes with a double chanterelle were > usually strung in unisons." > Mimmo Peruffo disputes that assumption: from his website page "The > lute in its historical reality"- > 9. Double treble and unison courses: the fact that the vihuela was > generally (but not always) strung with a double treble led some > scholars to take that as evidence in favour of all courses having been > strung with unisons. We fail to grasp the logic of it. There is, on the > other hand, evidence proving that the vihuela could have a single > treble, whereas most Renaissance lutes where strung with double > trebles. > [2]http://www.mimmoperuffo.org/9e.htm > On Nov 19, 2011, at 11:42 PM, William Samson wrote: > > Again - I've forgotten the source (probably Eph Segerman), but I > seem > > to remember that lutes with a double chanterelle were usually strung > in > > unisons. I do know that Eph had a 7c lute made like this and strung > > with catlines (his own manufacture - Northern Renaissance > Instruments) > > in the basses. It certainly worked very well, but sounded 'darker' > > than a lute with octave stringing in the basses. > > Bill > > From: wikla <[3]wi...@cs.helsinki.fi> > > To: [4]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > > Sent: Saturday, 19 November 2011, 20:51 > > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Double 1st string on 6 course lutes? > > Thanks to all for the most interesting answers! > > I actually just ordered a 6 courser, model Venere (the original, the > > model, > > was a 7 courser, I suppose?) from Lauri Niskanen, the guy who made > my > > new > > 11 courser. And I ordered an option to double chanterelle - just one > > extra > > peg, just 3 grooves and 3 holes up and down. > > Any more constructive ideas what to hope and ask? > > best, > > Arto > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > [1][5]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > -- > > > > References > > > > 1. [6]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > -- > > -- > >References > > 1. http://www.fomrhi.org/uploads/bulletins/Fomrhi-004.pdf > 2. http://www.mimmoperuffo.org/9e.htm > 3. mailto:wi...@cs.helsinki.fi > 4. mailto:lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > 5. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > 6. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html Edward Martin 2817 East 2nd Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812 e-mail: e...@gamutstrings.com voice: (218) 728-1202 http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660298871&ref=name http://www.myspace.com/edslute http://magnatune.com/artists/edward_martin
