angevin...@att.net wrote:
Perhaps like many lute players, I started out playing lute strictly
from tablature. While I'm fluent reading mensural notation for
singing or other instruments, I've never mastered it with the lute. I
feel this is a lack, and would like to fix it - except for how much
work it is! Now I currently play both a tenor in G and an alto in A.
I can think of reasons why it would be "nice" to be able to read
mensural notation on each of them. But since the task at hand is
already difficult (and hard to motivate practicing), I really need to
pick either the G or the A and just learn that for now. Like most lute
players, I played some (classical) guitar first, so really it would
probably be slightly easier to learn the association from A lute to
mensural notation. But perhaps the G is more generally useful in the
long run.
Any advice from the collected wisdom?
Suzanne
--
Just to clarify: mensural notation as in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensural_notation
Stuart
No, I mean plain old modern staff notation. Not the esoteric, specialized
stuff of early Western music. Mensural, as is "Add mensural staff" of
Fronimo. Sorry if the use of the not-quite-exact term was confusing. I'm
just meaning to contrast tablature with staff notation.
Suzanne
Sorry to raise another question - but do you want to read lute music -
solos, song accompaniments, duet parts - that were originally in
tablature, but in ordinary music notation? Perhaps so you can really
see the implied voice-leading? That's a very noble enterprise - which
many people would baulk at because it is both difficult and a bit
superfluous if you can play the tablature well enough.
Or do you want to do what some keyboard players can do, and look at a
score (e.g. in 3 or 4 parts) and play it at sight on the lute? Or again,
do you want to read the lower part (probably in the bass clef) and do a
sort of continuo? Also very noble enterprises and I'd think really quite
difficult.
Or do you want to play single lines? I don't think that's too difficult
at all. Of course, the question is why you would want to play single
lines. (I want to play single lines because I want to play pre-16th
century music - but in ordinary modern musical notation, not mensural!).
I don't think it matters whether you play a lute in A or G, if you
want to single lines. But you need to play in the treble clef, the
treble clef an octave down and the bass clef. Playing single lines, in
much Renaissance music is really not too difficult.
I also like to play other instruments than the lute that have specific
tunings (different from the lute) and the music written for the
instrument is not in tablature. It's mostly amateur music and in a
small number of keys. Playing from music notation in different tunings
on different instruments is not a big deal (as long as the music is not
too difficult).
Stuart
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