Christopher Schaub at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I always find it curious when people say that Dowland switched to thumb-out as
> if he'd abandoned thumb-under. Imagine (close your eyes, it helps) the best
> lute player in the world today, he has been playing thumb-under for most of
> his career. If he switches his technique to thumb-out, do you think he's going
> to relearn all of his old pieces with the new technique? I seriously doubt it
> -- too much work for little gain. If Dowland did switch, I'll bet he played
> both ways depending upon the material. Just common sense really.
>
Maybe, but you greatly overestimate the effort it takes to make what is,
after all, a fairly small change in the way the right hand is held. It
doesn't involve "relearning" pieces. And while a modern player might find
that different hand positions fit different repertoire, keep in mind that
the Big D played a fairly small repertoire by our standards. He didn't
worry about Dalza or Piccinini or Weiss, for example. So I don't know what
different "material" would occasion different hand positions.
