The frets might be closer on a lute than a guitar....but the neck is a lot wider if you buy an 8 course ren. As for chords and stretch, some of the chords on guitar are easy, the same chords on a ( 8 course ) can be a stretch. Either way the lute is a great instrument to play.
N. -----Original Message----- From: Mike Coleman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 18 September 2008 16:09 To: lute Subject: [LUTE] Re: pre-newbie question Thanks to all for your helpful replies. I didn't really say it, but I don't know how to play the guitar either, beyond being able to tune it and find notes on it. I'm just using one we have laying around the house as a lute simulator. :-) One problem I've noticed when toying with a guitar or especially an electric base is that it's very difficult for me to turn my left hand completely over, which makes it difficult to finger notes that require a reach, up near the first fret. Just looking at the pictures, I'm thinking/hoping that the stretch for a lute is much smaller, and would be easier for me, mechanically. I'm guessing that the distance between the first and second frets on a lute are approximately like the distance between 8th and 9th frets on a guitar--if so, then maybe capo'ing my guitar at the 8th fret would make it feel more like a lute. I'm not so concerned about pitch--I just want to know what a lute feels like. The suggestion to try out a 12-string guitar is interesting--I'll give that a try. I noticed that the UK lute society has a set of lutes for rent--wish we had that over here (USA). I'm not wealthy, so my options look a little daunting. With any luck I'll talk myself out of it before it comes to that. ;-) Mike To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
