Hi Paul, Welcome! There are a few "light" pieces available on the Renaissance Cittern Pages at http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/musicfiles/index.html.
While not strictly "Elizabethan," Playford's cittern books contain very easy arrangements (not all of the highest quality!). There are some easier Elizabethan pieces to be found in both Dd.14.24 and Dd.4.23. I believe the Lute Society (UK) has published a tab sheet of a few from Dd.4.23. Also, Phalese's Hortulus Citharae of 1570 contains a second part for the chromatic "Italian" tuned cittern. While not "Elizabethan" in any stylistic sense, they are for the same instrument. The pieces are divided between hard (Madonna mia pieta) and easy (most of the dances). Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any difficulty finding any. If so, I may persuaded to update the Music section of the cittern pages with a few more of these easier pieces. -Andrew At 08:03 AM 3/5/2007, Paul Kemner wrote: >Hello all- >Just joined the list. My wyar history: >Back in the 70's, I built a 9-course orpharion, and was an orpharion >student of Lyle Nordstrom. >More recently, I played bandora in a consort of 6 that met in Ann >Arbor, Michigan. When the lutanist moved away, the consort petered >out without attempting to replace him. >Most recently I was looking for something else in my library, and >found the modern edition of Robinson and the facsimile of the >Holborne cittern books instead. I decided to re-string a flat-back >mandolin for Italian tuning and see if I liked the music enough to >build a real cittern for myself. > >My first question: Are there any pleasant-sounding Elizabethan >cittern pieces that are relatively easy? I'm hoping for music that >doesn't have the big stretches up the fingerboard like the Holborne ones do. > > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
