If you are Conrad Paumann or Blind Willie McTell there is one answer- For players of theorbo or archlute, it has sometimes been the other answer.
On Dec 14, 2011, at 2:11 PM, Stephen Fryer wrote: > On 14/12/2011 1:51 PM, Daniel Winheld wrote: >> You can't really appreciate how ugly the Arnault de Zwolle lute >> design is until you have one. As DT rightly observes, "When you >> look at a copy of Arnaut's lute, it always looks a bit odd. It always >> seems as though something is not quite right. Some of the >> iconography shows lutes where the curves seem bumpy rather than >> smooth, similar to Arnaut's drawing." >> >> This is an interpretation built in the early 1970's - bumps and all. >> It is, unfortunately, my only 6 course. >> >> http://s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/danwinheld/?action=view¤t=SixCourse.jpg >> >> Sounds much better than it looks, which is why I allow it to live. I >> think David Van Edwards has nailed it- too late for this one, >> though. > > Thanks for the photo. Of course the question becomes, do we play an > instrument for its LOOKS or its SOUND? > > Stephen Fryer > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html