Demystified by Ian Harwood in his chapter of "Making Muscial Instruments."
Contratenor = 4th course
Great Meanes = 3rd course
Small Meanes = 2nd course
Trebles = 1st course.
So there.
G
On 02/15/2012 12:48 PM, howard posner wrote:
On Feb 15, 2012, at 9:20 AM, David R wrote:
I was talking to someone the other day about viol fretting, specifically:
using old strings as fret gut. Along with some information on that, he sent me
this quote from Dowland. He didn't specify John or Robert:
"therefore doe this; let the two first frets neerest the head of the Instrument
(being the greatest) be of the size of your Countertenor, then the third and fourth frets
must be of the size of your great Meanes : the fift and sixt frets of the size of your
small Meanes : and all the rest sized with Trebles. These rules serue also for Viols, or
any other kinde of Instrument whereon frets are tyed."
I'm not familiar with the terms "countertenor," "great meanes" or "small
means." I assume Dowland is referring to lute strings, but can anyone tell me which courses he's
referring to?
I don't know the answer offhand, but the quote is from John D's preface to A Varietie of Lute
Lessons ("Other Necessary Observations belonging to the Lute") on page "E." If
you don't have Varietie, you can download a pdf here:
http://www.shipbrook.net/jeff/bookshelf/details.html?bookid=40
Your quote on is on page 16 of the pdf, so your question is presumably answered
before that.
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