Dear Sterling, There seems to have been considerable variety in instruments known as theorboes. Single or double strings on the fingerboard is one of many variants. From the purely musical point of view (i.e. recreation of different notes, not tone quality), the only significant difference between a single-strung theorbo and a double-strung one would be if the double course consisted of two strings tuned an octave apart. Andrea Dammiani has suggested that this tuning is likely for the theorbo music of Melii, where there are some odd melodic shifts from one octave to another. A single-strung theorbo would not produce the same (desired?) effect.
If you wander into a reasonably-sized music shop today, you will see a wide assortment of instruments, particularly guitars: different sizes, different numbers of strings, acoustic/ semi-acoustic, electric, etc. When considering lutes and theorboes over a period of anything from 100 to 300 years, it is not surprising that there was considerable variety then too. It is tempting to over-simplify, and to try to identify standard instruments, whereas the reality was often more complex than that. Best wishes, Stewart. ----- Original Message ----- From: "sterling price" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Stewart McCoy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 4:25 AM Subject: Re: Double 1st > Weren't many re-entrant theorbos strung with a double > first? And especially bass lutes? I have been wanting > to try a theorbo with all double courses. I have heard > that they were more common historicaly than now. > Sterling Price > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Find out what made the Top Yahoo! Searches of 2003 > http://search.yahoo.com/top2003 > > > >
