The reason, why the nails are not so good to draw sounds with, as the flesh.
But on doing of this, take notice, that you strike not your strings with your nails, as some do, who maintain it the best way to play, but I do not; and for this reason; because the nail cannot draw so sweet a sound from a lute, as the nibble end of the flesh can do. I confess in a consort, it might do well enough, where the mellowness (which is the most excellent satisfaction from a lute) is lost in the crowd; but alone, I could never receive so good content from the nail, as from the flesh; (however, this being my opinion) let others do, what seems best to themselves. Thomas Mace (London, 1676). Pretty good advice from the English master. -- Bruno Figueiredo Pesquisador autonomo da pratica e interpretac,ao historicamente informada no alaude e teorba. Doutor em Praticas Interpretativas pela Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
