[LUTE] Re: 15th century duo (left-handers playing right-handedly)
On 06/06/2014 23:06, Braig, Eugene wrote: Groovy! What plectrum did you use here? I use several incarnations of plectrum depending on era of music and instrument at hand. . . . And, in spite of my sinistral tendencies, my plectrum, punteado, and occasional rasgueado efforts are always executed with the right hand. Eugene I had forgotten that you are left-handed but play (in your preferred usage) standard instruments. Is there also a Worshipful Company of Left-Handed Standard Lute Players (i.e. playing right-handedly), I wonder? For a plectrum I'm using a length of guitar string with a bit of masking tape. I gleaned this from a discussion on this list some time. I've tried many kinds of plectrum but me the main issue is plectrum playing itself, rather than the plectrum. How do you get on with playing with a plectrum in your right hand when you are left handed? You have noted that both hands equally are involved in complex tasks in playing a plucked instrument. But Usually in music, if I have realistic goals, I can fairly well come to be able to play things (e.g. quite difficult passages) with careful, slow practice. But this doesn't happen ever with plectrum issues. I can practice a troublesome passage countless times over a period of time, pick up the instrument and plectrum and I'll be just as likely to bungle it... or get it right. It's fascinating in an annoying way, really. Stuart While Jean-Paul certainly plays it faster, the effect is no more entertaining. Cheers! Best, Eugene --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: 15th century duo (left-handers playing right-handedly)
Hi, An alternative that works for me is to grow a healthy thumb-nail. Then pinch thumb and index together, like as if holding a plectrum and use the nail as a plectrum. You can file down the nail to suit your preference of sound, as well as strike the course (string) from different angles, and optionally press the little finger against the soundboard. Or not. This method allows for very rapid up-and-down playing and is a more accurate alternative to dedillo IMO. It also uses the mechanics of the hand in a plectrum way with a more direct contact with the string. Of course it goes against all that is lute correctness! :) (I have mainly used it on single strings). Any other players who have tried this way out? G. - Original Message - From: WALSH STUART s.wa...@ntlworld.com To: Braig, Eugene brai...@osu.edu; lutelist Net Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2014 11:06 AM Subject: [LUTE] Re: 15th century duo (left-handers playing right-handedly) On 06/06/2014 23:06, Braig, Eugene wrote: Groovy! What plectrum did you use here? I use several incarnations of plectrum depending on era of music and instrument at hand. . . . And, in spite of my sinistral tendencies, my plectrum, punteado, and occasional rasgueado efforts are always executed with the right hand. Eugene I had forgotten that you are left-handed but play (in your preferred usage) standard instruments. Is there also a Worshipful Company of Left-Handed Standard Lute Players (i.e. playing right-handedly), I wonder? For a plectrum I'm using a length of guitar string with a bit of masking tape. I gleaned this from a discussion on this list some time. I've tried many kinds of plectrum but me the main issue is plectrum playing itself, rather than the plectrum. How do you get on with playing with a plectrum in your right hand when you are left handed? You have noted that both hands equally are involved in complex tasks in playing a plucked instrument. But Usually in music, if I have realistic goals, I can fairly well come to be able to play things (e.g. quite difficult passages) with careful, slow practice. But this doesn't happen ever with plectrum issues. I can practice a troublesome passage countless times over a period of time, pick up the instrument and plectrum and I'll be just as likely to bungle it... or get it right. It's fascinating in an annoying way, really. Stuart While Jean-Paul certainly plays it faster, the effect is no more entertaining. Cheers! Best, Eugene To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: 15th century duo (left-handers playing right-handedly)
RE: a Worshipful Company of Left-Handed Standard Lute Players, perhaps there should be! RE: plectrum play, I've simply been at it so long, I can't remember the specific mechanics of my youthful struggles. I started playing/strumming old-time, American folk music with my Grandfather around 38 years ago. I came to classical music and punteado more than a decade later. Some of my most pleasurable moments with music is modern classical (i.e., post-1880) music for mandolin. Of course, plectrum play (tortoise or synthetics) dominates there. For period plectra, where quill is appropriate, I've taken to fabricating them of clear Bic pens. I like real quill better (harder, thinner, etc.), but it's inconsistent, and only about half of them turn out to my liking. Here's one of my synthetic quill efforts: https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/p417x417/132099_1612644309706_623553_o.jpg Best, Eugene From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] on behalf of WALSH STUART [s.wa...@ntlworld.com] Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2014 5:06 AM To: Braig, Eugene; lutelist Net Subject: [LUTE] Re: 15th century duo (left-handers playing right-handedly) On 06/06/2014 23:06, Braig, Eugene wrote: Groovy! What plectrum did you use here? I use several incarnations of plectrum depending on era of music and instrument at hand. . . . And, in spite of my sinistral tendencies, my plectrum, punteado, and occasional rasgueado efforts are always executed with the right hand. Eugene I had forgotten that you are left-handed but play (in your preferred usage) standard instruments. Is there also a Worshipful Company of Left-Handed Standard Lute Players (i.e. playing right-handedly), I wonder? For a plectrum I'm using a length of guitar string with a bit of masking tape. I gleaned this from a discussion on this list some time. I've tried many kinds of plectrum but me the main issue is plectrum playing itself, rather than the plectrum. How do you get on with playing with a plectrum in your right hand when you are left handed? You have noted that both hands equally are involved in complex tasks in playing a plucked instrument. But Usually in music, if I have realistic goals, I can fairly well come to be able to play things (e.g. quite difficult passages) with careful, slow practice. But this doesn't happen ever with plectrum issues. I can practice a troublesome passage countless times over a period of time, pick up the instrument and plectrum and I'll be just as likely to bungle it... or get it right. It's fascinating in an annoying way, really. Stuart While Jean-Paul certainly plays it faster, the effect is no more entertaining. Cheers! Best, Eugene --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: 15th century duo (left-handers playing right-handedly)
I rarely use a plectrum, and to get that sound I do the same as you. A thubnail 'dedillo' on bass strings. Surely there must be a name for it? It is just so very useful - I can make my lute sound a bit like an oud; on Guitar I can do the thunder sound in Vivaldi's Summer! It is good to know that there are many healthy pockets of unorthodoxy I have recently taken to experimenting with seagull feathers though (in the absence of eagles and ostriches etc in my locality . A swan feather might be possible too. The thin or thick end though? In Gulliver's Travels there was a war between those who opened the narrow end of their boiled egg first, and those who started on the thick end Tony C __ From: G. C. kalei...@gmail.com To: Lutelist lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Saturday, 7 June 2014, 20:40 Subject: [LUTE] Re: 15th century duo (left-handers playing right-handedly) Hi, An alternative that works for me is to grow a healthy thumb-nail. Then pinch thumb and index together, like as if holding a plectrum and use the nail as a plectrum. You can file down the nail to suit your preference of sound, as well as strike the course (string) from different angles, and optionally press the little finger against the soundboard. Or not. This method allows for very rapid up-and-down playing and is a more accurate alternative to dedillo IMO. It also uses the mechanics of the hand in a plectrum way with a more direct contact with the string. Of course it goes against all that is lute correctness! :) (I have mainly used it on single strings). Any other players who have tried this way out? G. - Original Message - From: WALSH STUART [1]s.wa...@ntlworld.com To: Braig, Eugene [2]brai...@osu.edu; lutelist Net [3]Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2014 11:06 AM Subject: [LUTE] Re: 15th century duo (left-handers playing right-handedly) On 06/06/2014 23:06, Braig, Eugene wrote: Groovy! What plectrum did you use here? I use several incarnations of plectrum depending on era of music and instrument at hand. . . . And, in spite of my sinistral tendencies, my plectrum, punteado, and occasional rasgueado efforts are always executed with the right hand. Eugene I had forgotten that you are left-handed but play (in your preferred usage) standard instruments. Is there also a Worshipful Company of Left-Handed Standard Lute Players (i.e. playing right-handedly), I wonder? For a plectrum I'm using a length of guitar string with a bit of masking tape. I gleaned this from a discussion on this list some time. I've tried many kinds of plectrum but me the main issue is plectrum playing itself, rather than the plectrum. How do you get on with playing with a plectrum in your right hand when you are left handed? You have noted that both hands equally are involved in complex tasks in playing a plucked instrument. But Usually in music, if I have realistic goals, I can fairly well come to be able to play things (e.g. quite difficult passages) with careful, slow practice. But this doesn't happen ever with plectrum issues. I can practice a troublesome passage countless times over a period of time, pick up the instrument and plectrum and I'll be just as likely to bungle it... or get it right. It's fascinating in an annoying way, really. Stuart While Jean-Paul certainly plays it faster, the effect is no more entertaining. Cheers! Best, Eugene To get on or off this list see list information at [4]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. mailto:s.wa...@ntlworld.com 2. mailto:brai...@osu.edu 3. mailto:Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu 4. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
