Stephan has said my thoughts exactly. I'm sure a lot of us only play for our own pleasure, but would love to be able to improve and play properly. Thanks to Rob and a few others who are willing to bring beginners and students on to a more competent level. Sharing video-clips is an excellent method. Though equally, I would like to see that used alongside tablature, or to say which source it is from, that we may follow and understand the fingering better. As Rob says, his way may not always be the best way. But anything will be better than muddling through on our own.
Ron (UK) Not too shy lurker -----Original Message----- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Stephen Arndt Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 3:18 PM To: lute-cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: [LUTE] Re: help for 'improving' lute and vihuela players Dear Rob, As one definitely in the not-so-advanced (yes, you may say that) category, I greatly appreciate your efforts. It was very interesting and instructive to get a glimpse of the kind of things you keep in mind when approaching a piece, and I for one would welcome any and all forms of help from the professionals among us. Never having had a teacher or a single lute lesson, I have to struggle along the best I can, and I am afraid that the old adage--"Whoever has himself for a teacher has a fool for a student"--is in my case all too true. The worst part is the not-so-blissful ignorance of not even knowing what I don't know or am doing wrong. I have no idea what a teacher would teach me were I to study at a conservatory, since I have never had such an experience, but I dream that someday someone will publish a lute method with systematic, step-by-step video instructions to supplement as far as possible the absence of a live teacher. In the meantime, instructional videos, such as the one you made on baroque guitar strumming, are immensely helpful, and a series that would cover all the basics (tone production, articulation, phrasing, fingerings, etc.) would be an invaluable resource. Thank you for your kindness and generosity in taking the time to make a start on this initiative. A not-so-sly lurker, Stephen Arndt To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
