In his fourth
Rule Fosco indicates that notes like these should be played as single
notes ---
Fourthly Particular care must be taken when playing those numbers which
are placed after an alfabeto letter. These must be played singly; that is
to say you must pluck neither less nor more strings than those which are
shown. In this way the true effect of the ornamental notes will be felt
and the parts will follow clearly one after the other which is what I
intend.
The strict application of Foscarini's fourth rule leads to new questions. In
many places we first have a chord (for example A major = letter I), then
comes a single 3 on the second line of the tab (the note d') and then the
strumming continues while there is nothing in the tab. The most obvious
solution is to return to the original chord, but it is unclear. If the
original chord should be strummed in full again, what about the single note?
As an example may serve the 'Fulias con parti variate' on p.34. On the first
line there is an A major. On the third beat of the 'bar' the 4 of the chord
(the d' with figure '3' on the second course) is introduced (yes, Foscarini
does that often), and the first next downstroke has nothing. We all would
play a full A chord there, but it seems reasonable to include the ornamental
d' (as a 4-3) in a full strum as well. And be tolerant with regard to the
Fourth Rule.
This really excludes the idea that all the passing notes should always be
accomapnied the chords even if this is possible.
Not always, but in certain situations.
By the way, a situation which is very similar to the ex 5 from my article
(Lute 47) can be found halfway the fourth line of Foscarini's p. 32. All
strummed, and probably including all courses.
I see no good reason
Well you wouldn't of course. Once you have made up your XXXX you are not
willing to consider XXXXX XXXXX.
[X's are censored]
This is a very obscure source and there are different ways of interpreting
it. I wouldn't myself regard it as good scholarly practice to jump to
conclusions about anything in it.
Then don't
One other point on a different subject. In the examples in Alex Dean's
dissertation chords G, H and M are regularly used and these are all played
with a barre.
I will have to repeat that I have never intended to say that barre's did not
exist. But it seems they were avoided in the _early_ stage, when the guitar
and its stringing were emerging.
Moreover all of the songs are in keys which have no key signature or one
flat so that some of the chords are not much use any. The songs are not
necessarily intended to be performed at written pitch. The whole point
of Amat's tables etc. is to enable the player to transpose to a pitch that
suites the singer. This would involve the other chords.
The table is of the sort of pedantry which we often find in tutors.
Lex
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
