From: seifert@netcom.com (Rich Seifert)
Subject: Re: Lute
Organization: Networks & Communications Consulting
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 02:12:34 GMT

In article <Bzz52D.Mz@hsi.com>, tartaris@hsi.com (Bob Tartaris) writes:
> 
> I too really enjoy renaissance and baroque music and have considered learning
> to play the lute.  Is it alot different than classical guitar?  Can someone
> familiar with basic classical guitar technique learn to play the lute using
> a good book or is it so different that a teacher is recommended or required?
> If a good book will do, does anyone have any recommendations?
> 
> Also, how does one go about finding a lute to purchase?  I don't remember ever
> seeing a lute for sale in any music store.  Can someone recommend a good 
> source for a beginner? 
> 

I play both guitar and Renaissance lute, and came at the lute the same
way you appear to be doing. I played the guitar for many years, and had a
love of the Renaissance music, so I wanted to try my hand (sic) at 
the original instrument. I can offer a few pointers:

1. Get a good teacher. Right up front. There is a world of difference
between the instruments, especially in the mechanics: how you hold it,
how you position your hands, how the sound is made, etc. If you think
you can just play it like a guitar you will either fail or spend a lot of
wasted time fighting the instrument.

2. There are some major differences to worry about:
The angle of attack (lutenists
generally come at the strings from the bottom of the instrument, and
play with a very diagonal stroke. This is primarily due to the doubled
strings (all courses except the first are doubled).

The use of the thumb. Most early Renaissance lutenists use the "thumb-under"
method. Later Renaissance and Baroque lutenists (and guitarists) use the
thumb-over method. In thumb-under, the thumb moves under the other
fingers of the right hand when playing. This is quite natural when you
are in the position discussed in note 1 above.

Many lutenists even put their pinky finger on the soundboard to
stabilize their right hand during playing (much like many finger-picking
folk guitarists). 

The neck is pretty wide. You have to get used to reaching farther with
the thumb for those bass notes than you do on a guitar. Worse, there
are usually more than 6 courses (the lute varies from 5 to 14 courses,
depending on the period). I find an 8 course (middle Renaissance) lute
to be a good compromise between having enough strings to play a
reasonable repertoire and being a manageable beast. Watch Nigel
North play a theorbo sometime and you will understand.

Virtually all lute music is written in tablature. There are three common
formats (French, Italian and German), and a few other variations as well.
Worse, every composer has his own system of notation for ornaments, etc.
There is really no way to play the lute without reading tablature. 
Fortunately is is quite easy. I find I can sight-read tablature better
than staff notation, with very little practice.

3. NAILS!! As mentioned earlier, lutenists don't use their nails. This 
makes life difficult for those of us who want to play both instruments. 
I find that I can manage by keeping the nails short, and changing
the attack angle so that the nails don't get TOO involved when playing
the lute.

4. There really is no "rest stroke" on the lute. Everything is done 
free-stroke. (It is pretty hard to rest stroke a double course, and
make it sound like one note!) Julian Bream is an exception. His lute
(actually a lute-oid) has single courses for the first two strings,
just so he can rest stroke them.

5. String tension is way different. Playing the lute is like playing
with rubber bands compared to the guitar. (Again, Julian Bream's
lute uses a higher tension string so that he can play it more like a
guitar).

There is lots more, but I'm sure this will start some thread, hopefully
among the other lutenist/guitarists. 

I found that I could not play both instruments at the level I really wanted
to. I ultimately decided to concentrate on the guitar, and play the lute
"just for fun". I don't know too many guitarists who can do both well.



-- 
Rich Seifert                    Networks and Communications Consulting
seifert@netcom.com              (408) 996-0922
                                (408) 996-2860 FAX
"... specialists in Local Area Networks and Data Communications systems"