Very clever. I recall about 10 years ago I asked Dan Larson to build
me a theorbo, and he replied he would not, because he told me I do
not want one.
Turns out he is correct.
ed
At 12:17 AM 10/4/2013, John Lenti wrote:
>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
> >> [1][3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
> >> --
> >> References
> >> 1. [4]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> 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
> > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
Edward Martin
2817 East 2nd Street
Duluth, Minnesota 55812
e-mail: e...@gamutstrings.com
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