Hi bill, "vihuela of the conquistadores", to me would imply that, as they had to travel, (often arditiously) this would be a kind of early "travelling instrument", therefore smaller in size than the normal vihuela. Interesting implications for the organologists! (like f.ex. today's "Martin Backpacker" guitars, of which I take delight in practising on the nylon strung model sitting on the strap...). My professional charango was made in Argentina, has a synthetic back and an internal mike. Thought of using it for 5 course music, but I think the neck is a bit too short :( Perhaps I could take one course away and use it to play Renaissance guitar music? But it's probably too short for that as well. What is the normal "mensur" of a 4 course renaissance guitar?
Best regards G�ran ----- Opprinnelig melding ----- Fra: "bill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Til: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Kopi: "Lautenliste" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sendt: 12. juni 2004 02:24 Emne: Re: a rose by any other name | some charangos are made like this but mine is not - it's a | "critterless" charango carved from solid wood. | | i believe it was derived from the vihuela but i've never heard it | called "vihuela of the conquistadores" before (fabulous name!) i'm | sure it's predecessor looked very much as it does today. | | regards - bill de leon kilpatrick | | On Venerd�, giu 11, 2004, at 20:00 Europe/Rome, Thomas Schall wrote: | | > Isn't a charango mage out of the armour of an armadillo? | > I've read it would have been build after the model of the vihuela of | > the | > "conquistadores" | > | > Best wishes | > Thomas | > | > Am Fre, 2004-06-11 um 19.15 schrieb bill: | > | >> dear stewart - | >> | >> to complicate matters further, i've seen the charango referred to as | >> "the lute of the andes." | >> | >> i had a slightly larger, pear-shaped charango made for me recently and | >> with this "g-bead" tuning it sounds like something halfway between a | >> lute and a mandolin. delightful. | >> | >> everything is not everything...but it's hard to be precise about the | >> distinctions sometimes. | >> | >> thanks for your reply - bill | >> | >> On Venerd�, giu 11, 2004, at 12:51 Europe/Rome, Stewart McCoy wrote: | >> | >>> Dear Bill, | >>> | >>> You ask an interesting question. Does turning the 3rd string of a | >>> guitar from g to f# turn the guitar into a lute? I would say no, | >>> because of the shape of the instrument. Although changing the tuning | >>> may give a guitarist access to lute music, it doesn't turn his | >>> instrument into a lute. | >>> | >>> Similarly, if you tuned the 3rd course of your renaissance lute up a | >>> semitone, you may try having a crack at a Villa Lobos Prelude, but | >>> it wouldn't turn your lute into a guitar. | >>> | >>> So changing the tuning won't of itself change the instrument. Yet | >>> what if I buy a large archlute in g', and retune it a tone higher, | >>> but with the first course or two down an octave? Does my archlute | >>> become a theorbo? | >>> | >>> If I have a common or garden bass viol, and play consort music, is | >>> it a consort bass? If, on the other hand, I happen to use it to play | >>> a viol solo (reading from tablature), does it become a lyra viol? | >>> There is some evidence to suggest that a so-called consort bass was | >>> larger than a lyra viol, but applying the term "lyra viol" to an | >>> instrument is generally determined more by its function (playing | >>> chordal music written in tablature), than a specific size. | >>> | >>> I have often been surprised at how important the word for something | >>> is. The word may even become more important than the thing it | >>> represents. From time to time I play my theorbo in a concert. | >>> Sometimes people ask me what the instrument is called. When I say, | >>> "It's a theorbo", they walk away. The word is all they need to know. | >>> It is almost as if by knowing the word, they fully understand | >>> whatever is represented by that word. | >>> | >>> Best wishes, | >>> | >>> Stewart McCoy. | >>> | >>> | >>> ----- Original Message ----- | >>> From: "bill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | >>> To: "lute society" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | >>> Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 11:15 PM | >>> Subject: a rose by any other name | >>> | >>> | >>>> i've just been given a tuning for my charango that makes it | >>> possible to | >>>> play music written for the mandola (g-b-e-a-d.) it's also a banjo | >>>> tuning, i note. | >>>> | >>>> it's wonderful. | >>>> | >>>> at what point, however, does my charango stop being that and | >>> become a | >>>> mandola or a banjo? if i were to use a renaissance tuning on my | >>> oud, | >>>> would that make it a fretless, renaissance lute? | >>>> | >>>> does an instrument get its name from the sum of its parts or is it | >>>> tuning or contours and shape that makes it what it is? | >>>> | >>>> - bill | >>>> | >>>> | >>> | >>> | >>> | > | > | > | > -- | > | | | |
