Good morning all,
Many weeks ago I've sent to the list a request aboput a cittern tuning. I've
met the (from low to high) D A D G tuning several times in Corsica on 4 and
5 course cetera. But I was sure it was a modern "invention" and I wanted to
know more about that. Some list members answered me that this tuning is not
"historically true", so I had my answer and what I thought was true
according the others members.
But yesterday a musician from Puerto Rico wrote on the cittern.ning.com a
very interesting page about cittern in Spain etc... I copy it to you :
"Hola:
If you go by Anthoy Baines instrument dictionary, 1992 its listed: cittern
(sp.citara).
Citara comes from the french word < citre > (Waldbauer). It chabges to
citara in SpainAn aprox. time would be the 16c. There are a number of string
instruments with similar names but they are different instruments. The
cittern and the citara names are taken from the ancient 5c. cythara.
(Cythara, citre, citara). Its possible the cittern has an earlier history
with the name cittern. The 13-15 century information very difficult for the
pros to figure out so I don;t try.
According to JJRey the citola becomes citara and we have a spanish citara
that in my opinion is not a spanish cittern. In 1724, Pablo Nassarre,
Madrid, descrines the citara : has 4 double courses metal strings, metal
frets, made from one block of wood, is shallow in dept., has about an 18"
string lenght (in 1880 about 20"), is played with a pic (pua), and is tuned
BADE (4321), intervals 2-4-2. This is the same information given by
P.Minguet Irol, 1754.
The form is: upper bout is square forming a triangle in the soundhole center
and the lower bout is a semi-circle (piramidal semicirculo). Its like a
keyhole.
The 16c. LeRoy cittern was different It had a pear shape, with 2 small wings
(from citola), The first 2 courses were double and the 3rd and 4th, triple
for a total of 10 strings. It was tuned: Aaa Ggg d'd' e'e'. The intervals
are similar to the citara, 2-5-2.
The citola did not have a fixed tuning but had various, tuned in 4th,5th,
and octaves(Butler, Citola Project).
The cittern has in its family tree: citola, maybe a gittern type instrument
and giga/fiddle (Walfbauer). The citara" citola and fidicula (Nordsberg).
The is much more citola in the citara than in the cittern. The was a citola
in Paris, France, 14c.MS that is smilar to the sp. citara.
An old tuning for the citola was in the intervales: 5 4 4, d a d' g (4321).
There is an octave between the 2 and 4th strings. Our antique cuatro has a
tuning: a e a' d' (4321), 5 4 4, double course, metal strings.
The citara was still being played in 1880 (method, JJRey) and it had 6
doubles strings and 3 tunings. The Valencia tuning was: 4 courses triple
strings, tuned in 5ths,
D A E B (4321). The bandurria had a 5 5 turning, 1555 (Bermudo).
The citara, 1880 is replaced by the nuevo laud, 6 double, with 2 tunings :
a' with orquestra and e' as soloist, in 4ths (JJRey). Strimg lenght: 18".
Juan"
http://cittern.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=2107976%3ATopic%3A462
Bye,
Damien
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Forrester" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Damien Delgrossi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: "cittern" <cittern@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 9:53 AM
Subject: [CITTERN] Re: Tunning for citten
on 27/4/08 7:32 pm, Damien Delgrossi at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Good evening,
Is the tuning (from low to high) D A D G an historical truth for
medieval,
renaissance and baroque cittern? I've heard many music played on 4
courses
cittern played with DADG tuning. I was asking myself if it was a tuning
originnaly for cittern.
Regards,
Damien
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