>>>It was amazing how the sound opened up when I released my "fore-arm grip" on it!<<<
Absolutely. This has been my experience with not only the lute but with other string instruments as well. And the soundboard is not the only part of the instrument that vibrates when a string is plucked. My first guitar teacher always told me to not lean too much on the instrument with either limbs or body and give some " breathing room" between me and the back. He was on to something. >>So maybe as the fret and string have better purchase, the neck will send that energy to the body? I'm tempted to think that one end would cancel out the other but on the other hand, the bridge would vibrate up and down (relative to the bridge) while the neck would forward and back (relative to the bridge).<<< I suspect you are right, but I don't know enough of the physics here, perhaps some one else on the list could give us a clear answer to that. I do know there are number of string instruments from India such the sitar and the rudra vina that capitalize on the energy the string imparts to the fret; they that actually have semi hollowed out necks and extra resonators such as gourds attached to the peg end of the instrument. >>>Pure speculation, mind you. And I appreciate the irony of learning about greater volume from a clavichordist ;^)<<<<< An irony not lost on me either ....but perhaps the collective speculation of the folks on this list will help us all be better informed players. I know I'm buying more fretgut.... Chad ----- Original Message ----- From: Sean Smith<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Lutelist<mailto:lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2005 10:09 PM Subject: Re: Built-in action? Double frets Interesting idea, Chad. I had always thought the energy of the string was transmitted to the body through the bridge but it makes sense that some energy must go to the stopping fret as well. There is the view that the lute should be held as loosely as possible and a lesson with Ronn MacFarlane showed that when the lute is minimally supported by, say, its lower edge, only slightly resting against the chest and the right arm barely touching, it creates a much larger, fuller sound --something that Jacob Heringmann and others strongly advocate, too. For the longest time I didn't understand where the extra volume was coming from (maybe the back vibrating more freely from the volume of air?). It was amazing how the sound opened up when I released my "fore-arm grip" on it! So maybe as the fret and string have better purchase, the neck will send that energy to the body? I'm tempted to think that one end would cancel out the other but on the other hand, the bridge would vibrate up and down (relative to the bridge) while the neck would forward and back (relative to the bridge). Pure speculation, mind you. And I appreciate the irony of learning about greater volume from a clavichordist ;^) Sean To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
