[VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start?
Funny that it shouldn't have reached you before. I agree that the re-entrant tuning works perfectly for most of the repertoire. It is a misconception that the re-entrant tuning is somehow inadequate. As for Roncalli - as has already been pointed out he doesn't say anything at all on the subject. And as I have already said before I prefer the versions I have heard without a bordon on the 5th course. I think that the re-entrant tuning was probably the most widely used in Italy. But perhaps it is better not to spark off yet another discussion on this topic. (But I have already done so). Monica - Original Message - From: [1]Chris Despopoulos To: [2]Monica Hall Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 6:41 AM Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start? Ha! I found this in my SPAM folder for some reason. I do not disagree in principle with this compromise. I tried it out for Sanz, however, and for *my* taste and for the expectations I have built up from close to a year of playing with no bordones, I can't get a satisfactory sound for Sanz with the bordon on the 4th course. That's just me. Oh, and I'm spreading out to Roncalli now, and I'm pretty happy with the sound so far sin bordones. But again, that's just me. Of course, I wonder whether that's accurate, and hope to ask without starting a row. If I pick up Corbetta's La Guitarre Royale, I will of necessity add the 4th bordon... Thanks your informed understanding of the music. cud __ From: Monica Hall mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk To: Harlan Glotzer hargloresea...@gmail.com Cc: Vihuelalist vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Thu, January 20, 2011 5:37:23 PM Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start? As far as I am concerned a bourdon on the 4th course but not on the 5th is the answer to every maiden's prayer. It is compromise, and in the real world compromises are what work best. And I think we should re-christen it the English tuning because it is the tuning Corbetta intended for his La guitarre royale. He composed all the music in it whilst he was in England and dedicated it to good King Charles II Chris probably wont agree with me Whatever you do - enjoy. Monica - Original Message - From: Harlan Glotzer [3]hargloresea...@gmail.com To: Chris Despopoulos [4]despopoulos_chr...@yahoo.com Cc: Monica Hall [5]mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk; Vihuelalist [6]vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:11 PM Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start? Thank you both for you speedy and detailed replies! I guess I am wondering what the most universally useful stringing would be (bourdons on 4 5, bourdon on 4 only, no bourdons). I do understand that there is no silver bullet stringing that will be perfect for everything and that I will have to experiment, but since I will be first starting I think it would behoove me to not have my stringing limit the pieces I can explore. That said, I am very interested in the works of Sanz and the no bourdons tuning. My fear is that it would limit my ability to bring my guitar out and strum chords with people, etc. I wholly accept I may be overthinking this and should just pick one and plunge in. :p On Jan 20, 2011, at 1:38 PM, Chris Despopoulos [7]despopoulos_chr...@yahoo.com wrote: Well said, Monica. There's no doubt that it's easy to change the stringing, and many, if not most, contemporary baroque guitarists do just that. It has no effect one way or the other on the construction of the instrument, indeed. I just wanted to point out that there's no intrinsic limit to the musicality you can pull out of the instrument if you do opt for a full re-entrant tuning. In the process I thought I'd try for a little levity (as opposed to gravity) -- well, I can't vouch for any success on that front. And of course, I botched up the history... Thanks for the clarification. cud __ From: Monica Hall [8]mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk To: Chris Despopoulos [9]despopoulos_chr...@yahoo.com Cc: Vihuelalist [10]vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Thu, January 20, 2011 3:51:30 PM Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start? Well - it is a serious mis-nomer to call the re-entrant tuning Spanish. The Spanish would turn in their graves. What dear old Sanz says is In stringing there is variety, because in Rome musicians string the guitar only with thin strings, without a bourdon on either the fourth or fifth course. In Spain the opposite is the case since some use two bourdons on the fourth course and
[VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start?
I definitely don't want to spark anything. I'm just looking for any obvious prohibitions to using a fully re-entrant tuning with Roncalli. For me, first indications are good. But I'm fairly unwashed... I take your statement that he says nothing, to mean that I should go with what feels good. That makes me feel young again! cud __ From: Monica Hall mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk To: Chris Despopoulos despopoulos_chr...@yahoo.com Cc: Vihuelalist vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Tue, February 1, 2011 3:25:16 AM Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start? Funny that it shouldn't have reached you before. I agree that the re-entrant tuning works perfectly for most of the repertoire. It is a misconception that the re-entrant tuning is somehow inadequate. As for Roncalli - as has already been pointed out he doesn't say anything at all on the subject. And as I have already said before I prefer the versions I have heard without a bordon on the 5th course. I think that the re-entrant tuning was probably the most widely used in Italy. But perhaps it is better not to spark off yet another discussion on this topic. (But I have already done so). Monica - Original Message - From: [1]Chris Despopoulos To: [2]Monica Hall Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 6:41 AM Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start? Ha! I found this in my SPAM folder for some reason. I do not disagree in principle with this compromise. I tried it out for Sanz, however, and for *my* taste and for the expectations I have built up from close to a year of playing with no bordones, I can't get a satisfactory sound for Sanz with the bordon on the 4th course. That's just me. Oh, and I'm spreading out to Roncalli now, and I'm pretty happy with the sound so far sin bordones. But again, that's just me. Of course, I wonder whether that's accurate, and hope to ask without starting a row. If I pick up Corbetta's La Guitarre Royale, I will of necessity add the 4th bordon... Thanks your informed understanding of the music. cud __ From: Monica Hall mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk To: Harlan Glotzer hargloresea...@gmail.com Cc: Vihuelalist vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Thu, January 20, 2011 5:37:23 PM Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start? As far as I am concerned a bourdon on the 4th course but not on the 5th is the answer to every maiden's prayer. It is compromise, and in the real world compromises are what work best. And I think we should re-christen it the English tuning because it is the tuning Corbetta intended for his La guitarre royale. He composed all the music in it whilst he was in England and dedicated it to good King Charles II Chris probably wont agree with me Whatever you do - enjoy. Monica - Original Message - From: Harlan Glotzer [3]hargloresea...@gmail.com To: Chris Despopoulos [4]despopoulos_chr...@yahoo.com Cc: Monica Hall [5]mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk; Vihuelalist [6]vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:11 PM Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Baroque guitar, where to start? Thank you both for you speedy and detailed replies! I guess I am wondering what the most universally useful stringing would be (bourdons on 4 5, bourdon on 4 only, no bourdons). I do understand that there is no silver bullet stringing that will be perfect for everything and that I will have to experiment, but since I will be first starting I think it would behoove me to not have my stringing limit the pieces I can explore. That said, I am very interested in the works of Sanz and the no bourdons tuning. My fear is that it would limit my ability to bring my guitar out and strum chords with people, etc. I wholly accept I may be overthinking this and should just pick one and plunge in. :p On Jan 20, 2011, at 1:38 PM, Chris Despopoulos [7]despopoulos_chr...@yahoo.com wrote: Well said, Monica. There's no doubt that it's easy to change the stringing, and many, if not most, contemporary baroque guitarists do just that. It has no effect one way or the other on the construction of the instrument, indeed. I just wanted to point out that there's no intrinsic limit to the musicality you can pull out of the instrument if you do opt for a full re-entrant tuning. In the process I thought I'd try for a little levity (as opposed to gravity) -- well, I can't vouch for any success on that front. And of course, I botched up the history... Thanks for the clarification. cud __ From: Monica Hall
