Dear Joseph,
You wrote, "Because the stars do it one way - that's the right way."
Regardless where the dogma is, I think your cart's mis-attached to my
horse. As I understand how it came about for me:
A: The history tells us something.
B: The stars try it out.
C: I like the aesthetic.
D: I try it.
E: I like what I try.
F: I feel the history's justified by the aesthetic.
Others' milages may vary, of course, but for me, at least, B and C are
only suggestions of what is possible but the reason I like it and do
it is A, E and F.
Sean
On Dec 10, 2013, at 6:20 PM, Mayes, Joseph wrote:
Well, I was sort of fearing some push-back from the "tap-dancing
barefoot" crowd. I don't know how you can speak for most of the
lutenists out there. I certainly only meant to speak for me. Sweetness
requires nails. The sound - sort of a "thub, thub" one achieves
without them is so unsatisfying as to be lamentable.
No - that's not actually what I think - It's just the same sort of
tone that I'm responding to.
Tarrega played with nails until he lost them due to fungus - He
convinced his late-in-life student Pujol that flesh was the way to go.
Sor hated nails? I'd like to see that research.
As for "asking Hoppy," I think that illustrates part of the problem
with the HIP folks. Because the stars do it one way - that's the right
way. Bear in mind that Dolmetch and Bream, et al thought they had it
right, too.
But, as I say, I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. Play any
way you want to, just leave the dogma on the porch.
Joseph Mayes
________________________________________
From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf
Of Bruno Correia [bruno.l...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 8:29 PM
To: List LUTELIST
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Bream Collection... I just noticed
It may sound good to you, but not for most of the lutenists out
there.
Ask Hoppy about this issue? Ok, you don't need to ask him, after all
you don't ride a horse to the gig... Hey, I'd like to do that, the
traffic has been so bad nowadays.
The most frequent word to describe the lute's sound is sweetness! How
can you have achieve it with nails? Double strings also require that
both strings be pressed at once and not one after the other. The lute
is after all a sweet instrument (specially with gut). Even in
classical
guitar tutors (19th-20th century) the issue of nails was still
rolling
on. Sor hated it and only tolerated Aguado because of his great
skill.
That's why Tarrega and Pujol also avoided it (even if it was a
requirement due to the high tension of the Torres guitar).
Going back: The sources were just saying that many people were
careless
about their sound production. In order to avoid it, what about
cutting
your nails once and a while, washing your hands (daily if you can)?
2013/12/10 Mayes, Joseph <[1]ma...@rowan.edu>
I play the lute, archlute and vihuela with nails for the same
reason
that I
play the classical guitar with nails: because it sounds better!
Of course, by that I mean it sounds better to me. Nails give the
attack a
precision that flesh does not. It also comes closer, IMHO to the
sound
usually described in historical sources as desirable on lute -
silvery,
tinkling, etc.
Many sources tell us not to use nails - which they wouldn't have
bothered to
do if people were not doing it that way.
I don't play with flesh, I don't ride my horse to the gig, and I
don't
attend any bear-bating.
My $.02
Joseph mayes
--
References
1. mailto:ma...@rowan.edu
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