My guittar does not have a sound post. I have never thought about it before, and no-one has ever mentioned it to me, so I have assumed that this was normal.
>> This is exactly what the music written for English guittar needs. >> Quick arpeggios up and down the scale that are not interfered by long >> vibrations. Well, Martina, I think this is a very important point, especially as I (respectfully) disagree with you! :-) The whole point of having an instrument tuned to an open chord is that it supplies a strong tonic, or home key. In this instance, almost every note the left hand presses down (i.e. not open strings) is a dissonant note to the open chord - this is fundamental in the understanding of how to play these instruments. If the open strings are CEG (twice) then the dissonant notes requiring left-hand pressure are DFAB - these notes form chord ii (D minor) and chord V7 (G7 with root missing - but available as an open string), and two thirds of chord IV (F Major). This is the key to the magic and beauty of these particular instruments. The performer must be accutely aware of the different DEGREES of dissonance that these left-hand notes sound against the tonic chord. Just think what that means - almost every note your left hand fingers play is, to a greater or lesser degree, dissonant. This is why almost all the guittars (maybe all of them?) have holes for capos. And that is also why different pitches of instrument were used. Even when a tune modulates to the dominant key - usually half way through the tune - the strength of the open strings makes us feel that a return to the tonic is inevitable, and we can sit back and enjoy the journey in full knowledge of where we are heading. We can enjoy the scenery. Controversially, maybe, I feel that James Oswald understood this aspect of the instrument greater than anybody. And those composers who wrote more adventurous (key wise) music did not really get the best out of the instrument. And that is why the Spanish guitar, with its less influential tuning, was more successful at exploring other keys. Mind you, Julian Bream once said 'Why does all atonal music on the guitar sound like it is in E minor?!'. Basta... Rob To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
