They indicate the pitch of the indicated course. In other words,
guideposts for the arrangement of hexachors opn the lute fingerboatrd.
Apparently lutenists could imagine their instrument as being "tuned" in
any number of nominal pitches. It is rather easy when one "thinks" in
hexachords. It makes transposition on the lute easy, as well. That's
the point of Ward's article that David Tayler cites. It is reprinted
in the JLSA (vol. 15 [1982]: 27ff.).
----- Original Message -----
From: [1]Frank A. Gerbode, M.D.
To: [2]Art Ness
Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2011 2:39 PM
Subject: tab clefs
I think I may have asked you this before. If so, apologies.
I just finished work on [3]El Parnasso, and now I am taking another
look at Orphenica Lyra with a view to supplying missing data
(including indicating the red notes with a dot as in Daza) on these
pieces and have encountered these two marks (attached).
Can you tell me their significance? My guess is that the triple
mark signifies an "F clef" and the double one a "C clef", labeling
the course they are on in that manner. I don't know for sure that
is right, and whether these refer only to the open string or to the
first melody note on that string. Or maybe they signify fa and ut
rather than Fefaut and Cesolfaut.
Any help you could give would be much appreciated.
I hope all is well with you. It's been family madness around here --
three Thanksgiving dinners, followed by several days of Thanksgiving
leftovers. I'm ready to give up turkey for another year.
--Sarge
--
Frank A. Gerbode, M.D. ([4]sa...@gerbode.net)
742 Second St East
Sonoma, CA 95476-7104
Home phone: 707-938-4447 Fax: 707-938-4471
Website: [5]http://www.gerbode.net
"The map may not be the territory, but it's all we've got."
--
References
1. mailto:sa...@gerbode.net
2. mailto:arthurjn...@verizon.net
3. http://gerbode.net/ft2/composers/Daza/el_parnasso_1576/
4. mailto:sa...@gerbode.net
5. http://www.gerbode.net/
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