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[VIHUELA] Re: 'Strumming' Foscarini (and others) - even more agreement

Monica Hall
Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:50:47 -0800

Well - so be it - I can't very well argue with the man...............  BUT why 
on earth did he show it this way when he uses the more 'normal' way for single 
notes (eg as on page 78 as I mentioned in my last).? 

Well - I think the answer to that is that at this early stage (1630) he and the 
rest of them hadn't come up with a consistent way of distinguishing between 
passages to be strummed and passages to be played in lute style.   Leaving us 
all a bit in the dark..

And why does he repeat his opening injunction in the last sentence - I'm v. 
reluctant to mention this but are you sure the translation is 100% right - it 
seems so odd!

Well - in my experience they never say anything once if they can possibly say 
it twice or even three times...it is something to do with appearing to be very 
erudite and scholarly.

If you have ever tried to read Ruiz de Ribayaz you'll know what I mean.  

Here is the Italian for your predelection... 

Quarto, Dourasi hauer particolar riguardo, che quando si suoner=E0 quei numeri, 
che saranno posti doppo la lettere, si dour=E0 suonar semplicemente quelli, 
cio=E8, non toccar, ne meno, ne piu corde, di quelle, che mostreranno, perche 
cos=EC, oltre si sentir=E0 il vero effetto delle legature, e distintamente le 
parti succeder l'una, all'altra, tale =E8 l'intention'mia; la qual osseruatione 
far=E0 generale, e massime nell'Arie di Firenze passeggiate, Correnti Francese, 
Toccate, Gagliarde, e Balletti : altrimenti sonandosi qualche numero di piu, 
=F2 di meno, =F2 dissoneranno, =F2 riusciranno di poco gusto =E0 gl'Vditori.  
Il che si osseruer=E0 benche il numero fosse solo, cio=E8 non si toccher=E0 
altro, che quella corda, e tasto, che mostrer=E0 il detto numero.



Corrections will be gratefully received...

 

MOnica


Monica Hall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: 
    In a different context - in the Corrente on p.60 in the first line there 
are passing notes following Chord M3 and G.   These are clearly !!! WHY 
    meant to be played as single notes.   It is not possible to play those 
following Chord G and hold the chord.
    *****************************************************

    I'm sorry but at this point I am afraid that I have to disagree with you 
because Foscarini has explicitly said in Rule 4 that in this situation these 
notes should be played as single notes.

    To quote it again...

    Fourthly particular regard must  be had when playing  those numbers which 
are placed beside the letter.  These must be played singly; that is to say 
touching neither less nor more strings than those which are shown.  In this way 
the effect of the ornaments will be felt and the parts will follow distinctly 
one  after the other; such is my intention.   Which observation will be both in 
general and especially in the Arie di Firenze Passegiate, Correnti Francese, 
Toccate, Gagliarde, e Balletti.  Otherwise if more or less numbers [than are 
shown] are played it will succeed in awakening  little pleasure in the 
listener.  This is to be observed even if the number is alone; that is to say 
only touch that string and fret which the said number shows.

    The piece in question is a Corrente Francese.   On p.16 there is an Aria di 
Firenze Passeggiata and throughout this piece you are supposed to play the 
notes on the up strokes as single notes.

    **************
    RESPONSE

    And I presume the down strokes as well

    So to CONCLUDE - Is it in fact just him saying to use (as I think Stuart 
suggested) what the Spanish called 'dedillo' (or similar spelling?) - in short, 
a sort of single note strum? This seems to me to be the ONLY explanation left 
after we've ruled out continuing to strum the chord or showing single notes 
without strum sign (presumably played with alternating index and middle 
finger......)



    *************************

    There is a certain amount of logic in marking them as up strokes because 
they will be played with an up stroke with one finger.

    If this rule doesn't apply in these circumstances - where does it apply?  
QUITE -
        *****************************
        RESPONSE
        In short, I do indeed still think that he knew what he wanted and was 
trying, within the confines of the notation, to indicate what he actually did

        So do I but I think that what he wants is something a bit different 
from what you seem to suggest!   YES (I'm sorry to say.................)

        Monica


          Monica Hall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
            Yes - I think we are more or less in agreement. I used to think 
with Bartolotti that you should always repeat the chord with the auxiliary note.

            But I have been re-reading the instructions in the earliest books 
and suddenly had this feeling that perhaps I got it wrong about Bartolotti as 
what he say is a bit ambiguous!

            Monica
            From: Martyn Hodgson 
            To: Monica Hall 
            Cc: Vihuelalist 
            Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 1:32 PM
            Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Foscarini again -


            Yes - I think we're reaching some sort of middle way. However, in 
the case we were particularly discussing I still return to the strum sign which 
I think makes all the difference - Rob shows well how it can be translated in 
practice (even makes me want to return to F).
            Incidentally, I gave the B example simply to show how general the 
practice was (as I know you know) not because I'm still confusing the 
two..........

            Martyn



            Monica Hall wrote:
            Well - we are talking about Foscarini not Bartolotti.

            In his instructions at the beginning of Book 1 Bartolotti does say 
that you should hold the chord in place whilst you play the intervening notes 
but it is not entirely clear whether you should always repeat the chord with 
the passing note. In some circumstances I think that you should, and in others 
perhaps not. He quite clearly indicates notes which should be played as single 
notes - by putting 1 or 2 dots beside them.

            Foscarini is another matter. His Fourth rule reads as follows

            Fourthly particular regard must be had when playing those numbers 
which are placed beside the letter. These must be played singly; that is to say 
touching neither less nor more strings than those which are shown. In this way 
the effect of the ornaments will be felt and the parts will follow distinctly 
one after the other; such is my intention. Which observation will be both in 
general and especially in the Arie di Firenze Passegiate, Correnti Francese, 
Toccate, Gagliarde, e Balletti. Otherwise if more or less numbers [than are 
shown] are played it will succeed in awakening little pleasure in the listener. 
This is to be observed even if the number is alone; that is to say only touch 
that string and fret which the said number shows.



            As I said, in the particular passage under discussion the single 
figures don't follow an alfabeto chord but it seems to me that the same 
principle applies. Otherwise the part writing is obscured.



            However - as far as my specific query was concerned this isn't 
really relevant, as whether or not you play them as single notes or in 
combination with the preceding notes there are still only two notes in the 
strum...



            As far as the single notes which Stuart was referring to it is 
fairly obvious that these can't conveniently be played whilst the alfabeto 
chord is held and Foscarini has in fact said fairly clearly that they shouldn't 
be.



            But the general question as to whether you should should 
incorporate the passing notes into the chords or play them as single notes 
seems to be a bit of grey area. Perhaps it was left to the discretion of the 
player.



            Monica

            ----- Original Message ----- 
            From: Martyn Hodgson 
            To: Monica Hall ; Stuart Walsh 
            Cc: Vihuelalist 
            Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 8:58 AM
            Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Foscarini again -


            Monica, why do you think that the single notes are not played as a 
chord with any of the preceding note(s)? I realise this is your position but I 
still don't understand why you hold it: as someone else has said, if F had 
wanted this there's a perfectly clear way to intabulate it. As you know I 
disagree with your view and find support in other tabs where just one note 
changes in a strummed chord progression.

            Numerous examples in other sources just one (from the real 
Bartolotti 1640 top of page 19):

            B,(B)1'/A3,(A)2,13/ etc, etc, etc.......................

            Martyn

            PS I do wish B's book 5 existed
            Monica Hall wrote:
            > I wonder if you've added at least one bar towards the end. I'm 
sure there 
            > is definitely something dodgy about line 8, penultimate bar to 
final bar 
            > on that line (bars 10-11 in Monica's transcription). I think 
there is a 
            > bar - or more - missing and you have unconsciously compensated 
for it.

            You may be right - I haven't looked at that bit closely!
            >
            > Rob, while you have your guitar in one hand and the Edirol in the 
other, 
            > try playing line one, second half of bar 4. The single note (a) 
on the 
            > first course is marked with a strum sign. Can you physically play 
the 
            > preceding chord and add the a? And even if you could, does it 
sound 
            > remotely plausible as chord? And again the last two bars of line 
two, 
            > especially the penultimate bar. Can you strum them? Could you 
make a 
            > recording of a bit more of this piece?

            All these notes are meant to be played as single notes. They are 
not 
            intended to be included in the chord.
            >
            > Finally , line 9, bar 4. how do you add a top g to a full barre 
Bb chord?

            You don't - it's meant to be a G major chord - include the open 2nd 
and 3rd 
            courses and it modulates to C minor...(K3)

            And the penultimate note of the penultimate bar: how do you add,
            > physically, add an a to a C minor chord? Surely this must be 
single note 
            > (but it's got a strum sign).

            Yes - it can only be a single note...
            >
            > I think Monica must be right in saying that some of Foscarini's 
strum 
            > signs aren't actually strum signs. And there are strum signs all 
over the 
            > place in Foscarini.
            >
            >

            Hooray!

            Monica
            >
            >
            >> -----Original Message-----
            >> From: Rob [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 13 January 2008 16:40
            >> To: 'Martyn Hodgson'; 'Stuart Walsh'; vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu
            >> Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Foscarini again -
            >>
            >> I've made a stab at interpreting this on the guitar:
            >> www.rmguitar.info/temp.htm
            >> I think this is what Martyn is getting at - please forgive me, 
Martyn, if 
            >> it
            >> isn't. Obviously it is only an attempt after a couple of 
read-throughs, 
            >> and
            >> I got a little lost, but the general idea is, I think, one being 
            >> forwarded
            >> by Martyn. So apart from being slightly out of tune and hesitant 
in 
            >> parts,
            >> is there anything wrong with the interpretation? I think it is a 
            >> reasonable
            >> assumption of Foscarini's intentions - anyway, it is his fault 
for not 
            >> being
            >> explicit!.
            >>
            >> Rob MacKillop
            >>
            >>
            >>
            >>
            >> To get on or off this list see list information at
            >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
            >>
            >>
            >>
            >>
            >>
            >
            > 







            
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