>Tom, > >If you already tune your guitar to a more resonant pitch, you might >want to try what I think the best method, aesthetically and >scientifically, which is to tune to the resonant pitch of the lute >cavity--every open-ended cavity has a fundamental resonance, and the >overtones which will pick up what the strings are vibrating to. > >Slack the strings so much that you can hold them aside a bit from >the rose (they won't resonate at all, now) and sing as low as you >can into the rose, gliding slowly up. At certain points you'll hear >the body of the lute singing back strongly, and feel it in your >fingers holding the neck. Note the pitch from your tuner and keep >going--it will probably give strong resonance at two points, the >fundamental and the fifth. If the fundamental is too far off to >practicably string it for, then use the fifth. Retune, restringing >if necessary, so the strings are in harmony with the cavity's >resonance.
James, This is amazing. I tried this on my Baroque guitar. I merely muted the strings with my hand. It clearly resonates at d and f. This is good, I like Dm. :-) On my Ren lutes, it wasn't as pronounced and seemed to be a wider Q factor (width). My B lute resonates at A low pitch. This is truly facinating. >The difference is amazing. If you're not the sort to be convinced, >as I am, by the physics, the sound will decide it--as it should. >The resonance of the instrument will be greatly magnified, as will >the volume, and even the clarity of the plucked notes and their >overtones. I have done it with two 64cm lutes, one responded at E >and the other at F. They are much the richer for it--totally >different instruments. They stand up very well to a voice they >accompany, without being overwhelmed. The harmonic synergy between >the voice and lute (if it's you singing) is palpable. I'm wondering if this is something easy or difficult for a luther to control. Do they design instruments to resonate at certain pitches? If there is too much resonance doesn't that give an uneven response? Who wants to be trying to play something evenly and one note suddenly jump out? I haven't noticed that problem on my B guitar, but it is pretty much a tank of an instrument anyway. -- Ed Durbrow Saitama, Japan http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
