Dear all, I do play both lutes, as an amateur and at an advanced beginners level. I have a certain background in guitar, and play recorder and traverso since years.
My experience is: In june 2002 I began with the ren. Lute (6 courses). I ordered the baroque lute (13 courses) in october 2002, and received it in may 2003, when I began with it under a 2 classes per month (1 1/2 hours each) schedule. In august (holidays) I practised till 3 or 4 hours a day, and the leap forward was spectacular. During all this months I avoided consciously playing the renaissance lute, but a month ago the need of it was so big that I took it from the case and played a little. For my delight I noticed a big improvement with it: the work with the baroque lute was also useful for the ren one. In regard to the right hand, I do not care too much if my thumb is in or out. If asked, I must say it is most of the time mostly in. This is a question that burdens the approach to the lute when the player comes from the classical guitar scene, after many years of hard training to achieve that strange and unnatural right-hand-at-right-angle position. There are some differences in my RH work between the ren. Lute and the bar. Lute: the figueta is clearly there with the first, not so pronounced, but in some way also there, with the former. BTW: my teacher told me Hopkinson Smith used to play years ago thumb in even with the baroque lute... Saludos, Manolo Laguillo Barcelona --
