Minor clarification: it actually shrinks in drying after wetted. Eugene ________________________________________ From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] on behalf of gary [magg...@sonic.net] Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2015 5:17 AM To: LSA Lute Rental Program Cc: lutelist Subject: [LUTE] Re: Wetting Fingers
If you're playing on gut strings, be advised that gut shrinks when wet. This is one of the techniques used to set gut frets , i.e. wetting them before attaching them. Gary On 2015-12-23 18:47, LSA Lute Rental Program wrote: > Every month I try to send all the renters of Lute Society of America > lutes a little info on some topic. The one I am doing a bit of > research on now is the practice of wetting right hand thumb, index, > and > middle fingers before playing the lute. > I am sure this has been a past topic and am sure there are lots of > opinions out there about this. That is, actually, why I am asking > for > your thoughts. Some lutenists "fog" their fingers, some wet them, > some wet them and rub their fingers against their nose to collect > oil, > some use lotion or mineral oil or Vaseline, some do other things, > some > do nothing and play with dry fingers. > Can you offer me any history about any of these practices, any > information, pros/cons, advantages/disadvantages, issues of string > type > (gut, Nylgut, nylon, etc.)? I am not taking a position on the > issue...I am just gathering information and whatever you can share > is > appreciated. > Thanks, > Michael Grant > > -- > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
