On Feb 15, 2012, at 9:20 AM, David R wrote: > I was talking to someone the other day about viol fretting, specifically: > using old strings as fret gut. Along with some information on that, he sent > me this quote from Dowland. He didn't specify John or Robert: > > "therefore doe this; let the two first frets neerest the head of the > Instrument (being the greatest) be of the size of your Countertenor, then the > third and fourth frets must be of the size of your great Meanes : the fift > and sixt frets of the size of your small Meanes : and all the rest sized with > Trebles. These rules serue also for Viols, or any other kinde of Instrument > whereon frets are tyed." > > I'm not familiar with the terms "countertenor," "great meanes" or "small > means." I assume Dowland is referring to lute strings, but can anyone tell > me which courses he's referring to?
I don't know the answer offhand, but the quote is from John D's preface to A Varietie of Lute Lessons ("Other Necessary Observations belonging to the Lute") on page "E." If you don't have Varietie, you can download a pdf here: http://www.shipbrook.net/jeff/bookshelf/details.html?bookid=40 Your quote on is on page 16 of the pdf, so your question is presumably answered before that. -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html