Speaking as a full-time theorbo player, I feel that I can say with some
authority that the theorbo cannot be held comfortably by anyone ever. What you
do is you play near the bridge and suffer, pop some Advil, suffer some more,
pop a Demerol, more massage, claw at the strings nearish the bridge, Demerol,
suffer, stretch, suffer, take a month off, and then start over. The theorbo is
out to get you, and it will win.
Sent from my Ouija board
> On Oct 3, 2013, at 12:15 PM, "Christopher Wilke" <chriswi...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> Don't forget the right hand and arm placement. It should be very close to
> the bridge with fingers nearly perpendicular to the strings. This is not only
> historical, but it helps the instrument cut through an ensemble much better
> than the delicate tone produced by playing over the rose. I typically start
> by placing the instrument so that the historically appropriate right hand
> technique is possible and I can reach the left hand notes. Usually this
> automatically puts the theorbo right in place, without having to constantly
> cajole it. (Becomes more difficult on a "mucho macho" tiorba.)
>
> I find that an almost-vertical position makes it very difficult to get the
> right hand close enough to the bridge without feeling like you're in a
> Picasso painting.
>
> Chris
>
> Dr. Christopher Wilke D.M.A.
> Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer
> www.christopherwilke.com
>
> --------------------------------------------
> On Thu, 10/3/13, Dan Winheld <dwinh...@lmi.net> wrote:
>
> Subject: [LUTE] Re: Thigh support for theorbo
> To: "Martyn Hodgson" <hodgsonmar...@yahoo.co.uk>
> Cc: "William Samson" <willsam...@yahoo.co.uk>, "Lute List"
> <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>, "Daniel Shoskes" <kidneykut...@gmail.com>
> Date: Thursday, October 3, 2013, 12:12 PM
>
> For the upright, almost vertical
> position check out the Pipa player's technique. I have NEVER
> seen them held horizontally- and those are not excessively
> large lutes. Having played the viola da gamba quite
> seriously years ago, I can attest to the great ease of long
> stretches on a vertically held instrument. It's not uncommon
> for a typical (usually Renaissance) lute player to get a
> tenor size viol- only to discover that it's uncomfortably
> small for the vertical position for long, serious
> practice/playing.
>
> Except for the larger/longer archlutes, holding comfort
> & security has never been an issue for me (unlike
> Classical Guitar; scoliosis & tendonitis- thanks a lot,
> Segovia!). A large suede guitar strap handles my small
> arciliuto quite handily, and I now hold my guitars the way I
> hold my lutes- on the right thigh, legs crossed either way,
> low seat, or sometimes RIGHT foot on a low footstool or
> guitar case end, the cat, or whatever may be underfoot in
> stomping distance.
>
> One of my new students spent weeks finding no comfortable
> lute position- until the day I had her try a simple lute
> song (she was a singer) -she inhaled, straightened up
> somewhat on her chair- channeling her "singing awareness
> position"- and the lute fell right into place on her lap,
> comfortable and easy to hold & play. In that vein one
> might treat the problem of holding lutes as an almost Yogic
> sort of challenge. Also perhaps contact Jacob Herringman- he
> is a licensed Alexander Technique practitioner as well as a
> hell of a fine lute player, but I don't know if he has any
> experience with the larger instruments.
>
> But suction cups on lutes? SUCTION CUPS???
>
> Lord have mercy! ("Excuse me, Herr Kapsperger, is that a
> toilet plunger in your hand or are you just glad to play
> continuo for me?")
>
> Dan
>
>> On 10/3/2013 12:57 AM, Martyn Hodgson wrote:
>> Dear Bill,
>> Most early representations show
> theorboes being held quite high up
>> and resting on the right thigh
> rather than between the legs as a modern
>> 'classical' guitarist.
> Further, many early extant instruments have
>> fixing points for a
> cord/strap/ribbon: a button (or similar) at the end
>> of the body and one on the back
> of the first pegbox roughly where the
>> pegs are. Incidentally I can't
> see evidence of a practice of sitting on
>> the strap end.
>> By resting the instrument on
> the right thigh (similar to a flamenco
>> player's posture rather than a
> modern 'classical' guitarist- ie
>> inbetween the legs) and using
> such a strap I find all one needs is
>> something like a rough thick
> chamois leather placed on the thigh to
>> avoid any possibility of the
> instrument's lower side sliding forward.
>> No doubt, as has been suggested
> before (Bob Spencer I think), the heavy
>> coats of earlier players served
> much the same purpose.
>> It is also helpful to hold a
> theorbo more upright than a lute so that
>> the centre of gravity is closer
> in - it also helps a bit in playing
>> large left hand stretches. I've
> seen quite a few newcomers to the
>> theorbo struggle mightily with
> trying to play a theorbo in an almost
>> horizontal position as they
> play the lute and who soon find it much
>> easier when it is held more
> upright.
>> regards,
>> Martyn
>>
>> From: William Samson <willsam...@yahoo.co.uk>
>> To: Lute List <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>;
> Daniel Shoskes
>> <kidneykut...@gmail.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, 2 October
> 2013, 22:42
>> Subject: [LUTE] Re: Thigh
> support for theorbo
>> Interesting question. Do
> we know how it was done back in the day?
>> Bill
>> Sent from Yahoo! Mail on
> Android
> __________________________________________________________________
>> From: Daniel Shoskes
> <[1]kidneykut...@gmail.com>;
>> To: Lute List <[2]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>;
>> Subject: [LUTE] Thigh
> support for theorbo
>> Sent: Wed, Oct 2, 2013
> 9:35:50 PM
>> Dear Theorbistas: has
> anyone ever tried one of the classical guitar
>> rests/cushions/supports
> that many guitarists now use instead of a
>> footstool for their
> theorbo? Some have suction cups or clamps which I
>> wouldn't be thrilled to
> use on my instrument, but some, like the
>> Dynarette don't.
>> I'm still struggling to
> find an ergonomic position and the "sitting
>> on
>> the strap" options just
> don't fit my body.
>> Thanks
>> Danny
>> To get on or off this
> list see list information at
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>> --
>> References
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>>
>> --
>>
>> References
>>
>> 1. mailto:kidneykut...@gmail.com
>> 2. mailto:lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
>> 3. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
>> 4. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
> To get on or off this list see list information at
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