Hi Sterling,
Here is what I wrote a little while ago in response to a question from
Robert Barto. I hope it helps.
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This is an interesting question. Off the top of my head:
I don't think Spinacino (1507) mentions octaves in his introductory
material, but there are some classic examples of octaves in his
intabulations, especially in the opening of "Haray tre amours" (Book 2,
f.15v.) where the opening flourish finishes, not on the open 2nd course, but
on the second fret of the 5th course.
Attaingnant's tuning instructions (1529) tell us to use octaves on 4-6. His
arrangements of chansons for voice and lute also suggest pretty
unambiguously an octave on the 4th course (e.g. cadences which go from c4a5
to d3a4).
Not sure whether Hans Newsidler's instructions (1536) talk about it, but the
woodcut of a lute showing the symbols of German tablature clearly shows
octaves on 4-6. There is also evidence of octaves in his intabulations.
Adrian le Roy's Instructions (English translation, 1574), in discussing the
intabulation of "De corps absent" on f.42(?) mentions using the octave on
the 5th course to solve a problem in the intabulation, and in passing
mentions that this ruse would not be possible with a lute strung in the
manner of Fabritio Dentice and his followers (which is where we get the idea
that Dentice was a leading proponent of unison stringing). I had a feeling
that somewhere Le Roy tells us to use octaves on 4-6, but I can't find it at
the moment.
I have a feeling that Waissel's instructions (1592 book?) use octaves but I
don't have the facsimile - can anyone help?
Barley (1596) prints a version of Le Roy's instructions and also has a
woodcut of a lute which seems to show octaves on 4-6. Can't immediately
find my copy of that either.
When Dowland is talking about octaves in 1610, he recommends using a unison
6th course, and says that the practice of using an octave (on the 6th
course) was used "nowhere so much as here in England". In fact there are
many passages in John Johnson, Francis Cutting, Anthony Holborne and even
Dowland where octaves even up to the 4th course seem to be implied, so it
seems that use of octaves persisted longer in England than elsewhere and may
even have been common in the 1590s.
I hope others can add to this list and confirm (or otherwise) some of my
references.
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----- Original Message -----
From: "sterling price" <spiffys84...@cs.dartmouth.edu>
To: "Lutelist Net" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2015 11:04 PM
Subject: [LUTE] A Lute of Six Courses
Dear list--
Yesterday I got a new six course lute. This is the first time I have
really played one.
Question--is there an octave generally on the fourth course? Say for
Milano and such. But I also plan to play vihuela music on this, so then
no octaves?
Sterling
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