I went to the British Library today - the first time in years. You can
order books online these days!
In Bland's "First Collection of Twenty Four Airs etc" (London) there are
duets for "6 string guittar and 7-string guittar or a violin". I don't
recall references to 7-string guittars. The lowest note in the music is
G below C. So the tuning would be like a French cistre in C. I'm not
sure, but I don't think I ever remember coming across a 7-string
guittar, nor a reference to one.
I looked at Marella's "66 Lessons" (for a guittar in A) - with the
major and minor in every key. ...but not the sharp or flat keys other
than Bb. And about 40 are in A. But they all look very interesting and
I'll get a microfilm. There's a bizarre piece called 'Pantomime'. And
there are some interesting-looking duos and pieces with thoroughbass
(all in A).
I looked at D. Ritter's "Lessons for the Guittar" (Rutherfords, London).
Years ago I noted this on the title page: "the GUITTAR may be played in
an easier & more compleat manner when the second string in the BASS is
Tuned in D instead of E.". In France, Joseph Carpentier gives the tuning
of the guitharre angloise several times as C,D, E, C,E,G. He also
mentions a Mr Reithre (+Ritter?) at some points.
Some of Ritter's pieces do exploit the D in the bass. Here's one I wrote
out today - a Rondeau in G major (acknowledgements to current thread on
lute list) first without reverb and second with a bit of reverb which I
think gives it a bit more flavour. A bit more practice might help too...!
(no reverb)
http://www.pluckedturkeys.co.uk/Ritterstaight.mp3
bit of reverb)
http://www.pluckedturkeys.co.uk/Ritter-reverb.mp3
But other pieces by Ritter - just simple little things - seem to be
more difficult with the C-D-E-C-E-G tuning. I doubt that Ritter's tuning
was widely used.
Stuart
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