At 01:11 PM 10/29/03, you wrote:
>Does anyone prefer the sound of low-tension strings? Or is it as simple
>as:
>
> high tension =
> more volume, better tone, less slapping, harder to play
>
> low tension =
> less volume, worse tone, more slapping, easier to play
Herb,
My gut feeling is that it is not as simple as that. One should also
consider the application and the tools.
High tension can offer more volume--initially. I think the attack is
certainly stronger and brighter but I don't think it has the staying power
or complex color that a lower tension can offer. In a small intimate
setting where the room enhances lower volumes I think an overbrightness can
detract.
Also consider the type of music. Dances may do very well w/ more tension
but if I were playing a Terzi accompaniment w/ a lot of voices to sustain I
wouldn't want an overbrightness to pull the attention away from the
brilliantly written divisions. And then perhaps I might want the
"divisionlute" to work within the same sonic colors.
One must also consider the instrument. Some lutes and vihuelas support
lower or medium tension wonderfully; others depend on tension to get the
top moving and then sound great.
And sometimes I just want my gut strings to live a little longer.
So, my two cents. Half of one; six dozen of the other.
Sean Smith
