Having now read Gordon's message I think he is making some very valid points.
Recently I was able to borrow a cittern for a few months and the advantages of
a re-entrant tuning were immediatly obvious as soon as I began to play (rather
badly) with a plectrum.
If you are strumming chords it doesn't matter if the lowest sounding course is
in the middle but having treble strings outermost makes the playing of a
single melodic line with up and down strokes of the plectum much easier and
cleaner. The fact that the first and second courses on the cittern are tuned a
tone apart also makes it easy to play passages in thirds with a plectrum.
Otherwise two part playing is almost impossible.
Until the late 15th century most plucked stringed instruments in Western Europe
were played with a plecturm and I suspect - although there is no documentary
evidence for this - that re-entrant tunings may have been common.
The idea that they are some how inferior is really just 21st century prejudice.
They are just a different approach to playing the instrument.
Best to all
Monica
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