One interesting thing about Dowland's recommendations are that the
higher frets are much smaller diameter than any I have ever seen used
by modern players - including me. They should enable a lute to be 'set
finer' (ie with minimal string/fingerboard clearance at higher frets)
as recommended than with thicker frets
MH
--- On Wed, 15/2/12, David R <d_lu...@comcast.net> wrote:
From: David R <d_lu...@comcast.net>
Subject: [LUTE] Message for Ed Martin
To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Date: Wednesday, 15 February, 2012, 17:20
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?
Also, I've been so out of touch over the last year or so, I've lost
track of people's e-mail addresses. Ed Martin, can you drop me an
e-mail? Something I wanted to ask you about: [1]d_lu...@comcast.net.
Thanks.
David Rastall
To get on or off this list see list information at
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--
References
1. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=d_lu...@comcast.net
2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
