Hi All,
I have always regarded the rest stroke with the thumb as being a kind of
fundamental, a starting point. It doesn't have to be agressive, it's
just a way of making sure that both strings of a course are struck fully
and at the same time. I was taught (and hence still teach) that the
thumb is a long, heavy thing - it moves only from where it joins the
hand, way back at the wrist (all other joints stay relaxed) - and
"falls" towards to floor, which (with the lute being slightly angled
back) means towards the next course. With multi-course lutes where the
thumb only plays the bass notes, this is all there is - rest strokes all
the way, giving a nice solid sound to those octaved basses and the
psychological and physical security of always knowing where the thumb
is. With earlier lutes and music, where the thumb is very active on the
treble strings, rest strokes are rare, but the movement is much the same.
Best wishes,
Martin
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