The ML lute book was published in facsimile by Boethius Press in 1985.
I don't know whether it is available online or in some other form. The
original is in the British Library, Add. MS 38539.
In his introductory essay, Robert Spencer suggests that the book started
as a blank tablature book, probably bought in London, whose owner had
their initials "ML" stamped on the cover. It is possible that the M
stands for "Margaret", as there is some Latin doggerel in the book which
was written around the name Margaret.
The MS has long been known as the "Sturt" lute book (John Sturt, fl.1611
d.1625, a musician to Prince Henry) but there is no reason to connect
him with the book except six of his compositions and a similarity of the
tablature hand to one in a different MS where Sturt signed his name.
When I said it was c.1640 I was thinking of a different MS (sorry). The
ML lute book was probably written c.1610-25.
Martin
On 06/03/2019 11:21, Jurgen Frenz wrote:
Sorry Martin, what is the "ML" lute book?
Jurgen
----------------------------------
“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.”
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rumi
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
On Wednesday, March 6, 2019 3:23 PM, Martin Shepherd <mar...@luteshop.co.uk>
wrote:
Dear All,
Just from memory - Besard insists on thumb-out technique as being the
best, but allows that people with short thumbs may find thumb-inside
easier. I find it inconceivable that he would change hand position
during a piece, and see no reason why you should not use thumb-index
alternation in fast runs with thumb out - flamenco guitarists do it all
the time.
The fingering dots in the ML lute book (c.1640) give an interesting
indication of this. In Dowland's fantasia (Poulton 1, ML ff.14v-15r)
all runs are marked to be played middle-index, except where a running
passage has infrequent bass notes (f.15, second system) which have no
double dots (meaning middle), so presumably to be be played
thumb-index. Once the bass notes become more frequent (and the speed
of the treble movement stays the same, 3rd and 4th systems) the
middle-index alternation returns. Then a fast cadential formula (end of
system 5) lacks any double dots and is therefore thumb-index.
I'm sure there are many other examples like this. Nigel North's recent
talk at the Lute Society gave many interesting examples of RH fingerings.
Martin
On 06/03/2019 08:06, jo.lued...@t-online.de wrote:
Sorry: 'original', naturally!
Gesendet von meinem BlackBerry 10-Smartphone.
Originalnachricht
Von: jo.lued...@t-online.de
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 6. März 2019 07:49
An: Lute net
Antwort an: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu
Betreff: [LUTE] Re: right hand technique -- bending the pinky
Dear Alan, dear Jurgen,
There is something to that effect in all 'oroginal' versions of Besard's
instructions, that is: 1603 and 1617. I do not remember if ye text englished
contains the passage...
Best
Joachim
Originalnachricht
Von: Alain Veylit
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 6. März 2019 04:32
Antwort an: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu
Cc: Lute net
Betreff: [LUTE] Re: right hand technique -- bending the pinky
Jurgen,
It's been a while and I was quoting from memory... but I am sure I saw
it somewhere - perhaps the instructions translated in English in the
Varietie of Lute Lessons?
Or maybe the use of dots in Thesaurus Harmonicus ...
Alain
On 3/4/19 11:11 PM, Jurgen Frenz wrote:
It would be totally excellent if you'd find out where Besard made that
suggestion.
Thanks,
jurgen
“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.”
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rumi
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐.
On Tuesday, March 5, 2019 10:40 AM, Alain Veylit al...@musickshandmade.com
wrote:
That's odd because I remember O'Dette's advice for the left-hand pinky:
plant it vertically on the string instead of laying it flat - which
requires more effort. That should mean his left-hand little finger can
bend... Not a conclusive proof for the right hand little finger but ...
For Renaissance lute, if I am not mistaken, the right-hand little finger
is supposed to be parallel to the sound board, just lightly brushing on
it, and it should remain extended.
Anybody with a good explanation as to how additional basses would alter
the right hand position? If I recall, Besard still argued for a mixed
technique, thumb-under for fast runs and thumb over for whatever else
(chords). I think it is logical that increasing dedication of the thumb
to the bass strings does account for the shift in right-hand position,
and when you think about it, it is not a small revolution in music
history...
On 3/4/19 7:12 PM, Richard Brook wrote:
Heard via the late great Pat OBrien Paul O’Dette couldn’t bend that finger down
by itself. Though I think Pat said in my case the fault was in my head, not in
the stars.
D ick Brook
On Mar 4, 2019, at 6:58 PM, Alain Veylit al...@musickshandmade.com wrote:
Good one Rainer - Anybody remembers the title of that American series from the
60s-70s where aliens live among us in disguise, and the only sure way to
identify them is that they cannot bend their little finger?
Worth mentioning also about right-hand technique, Jimmy Hendrix playing with
his teeth - frustrated leftie, you think?
On 3/4/19 12:19 PM, Rainer wrote:
On 04.03.2019 17:11, Alain Veylit wrote:
And then, there is Django Reinhardt... one big exception to the rules of guitar
playing. Experimenting with various techniques has probably always been a
popular habit among musicians, whether by choice or force.
And Aguado used the 4th finger of the right hand. Perhaps he was an alien :)
Rainer
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