Minguet y Yrol in "Reglas y Advertencias Generales .....", 1752 (are there
earlier editions?) refer to the Spanish diatonic cittern but describe its
partial frets as defects and go on to give chord shapes for the chromatic
four course instrument (third course at a instead of g). Their shapes match
guitar alfabeto which is a potential extension to cittern repertoire. {As
far as I know there is no Spanish tablature extant, only one
representation(?) and the only extant cittern consists of just a fingerboard
from the wreck of the Armada ship Trinidad Valancera, chromatic fretting,
probably 6 course to judge by its width, string length c48cm (?) - longer
than contemporary Italians, so probably at a slightly lower pitch. Now in
Belfast, illustration in the 1988 exhibition catalogue published by
Penguin.}
A large diatonic cittern, 8 course, exists from the village of Merusaglia in
Corsica, and is probably connected with an ms dated to c. 1720. Its general
shape, made as a built-up construction, is like earlier carved Italian
instruments. Another, similar but probably slightly earlier, 6 course
instrument is in a private collection in France. (Information from Patrick
Delaval).
There would seem to have been two slightly different diatonic patterns
concurrent in Italy. The larger traditional instrument has a chromatic
fourth course, eg the Urbino cittern in the V & A. This pattern can be seen
to continue, often modified, in eg. the "Amati" cittern, Museo Bardini,
Florence, and the two later instruments above.
{The other pattern is seen on smaller carved citterns such as the Campi in
the RCM, London, and those in Rome and Milan, and on the Plebanus. Although
on six courses, this is similar to that used on the Dutch four course
instruments, and Patrick has suggested to me that there may have been direct
influence.}
I own a rather ugly tear-shaped (outline like a lute) guittar in very poor
condition. Seems 18thc. String length c. 43cm. Tortoiseshell fingerboard,
gilded wood rose, no label. Very hand-made machines for ten strings. There
is a metal nut for 5 paired courses, bridge is missing. Hitch plate for ten
strings, probably paired, but this covers ten holes in a different
arrangement. A rather nasty bulge in the back has been caused by a rather
crudely fitted sound-post. I suspect that the 5 courses and sound-post date
from around 1900.
However I should mention that the Tilman instrument in Berlin has a shaped
back-bar (joy-bar?) which would act as a sound-post and seems probably
original (photo in Michaelsteiner Konferenzberichte 66, Guitarre und Zister
.. page 40). So...
Peter Forrester
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