Bill, et al., Variant and scordatura tunings weren't unheard of in the Renaissance, but they really took off during the baroque period when composers wanted to produce certain instrumental effects. The new lute tunings like the "sharp" and "flat" came out of that interest in experimentation and the guitar really began to develop as a serious instrument in the baroque, so I would guess that this is when most of the tunings developed.
Though I don't know much about baroque guitar tunings of that time, one of Stewart's examples, Biber, created a wonderful set of "Sonatas for the Rosary" for violin, in which some of the tunings were symbolic. In one sonata, which depicts Christ on the Cross, he has the player switch two of the violin's strings by *crossing* them above the nut and below the bridge! -Carl Donsbach --On Thursday, November 18, 2004 4:42 PM +0000 Stewart McCoy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear Bill, > > You are right to say that there are many different tunings for the > guitar, but stringing an instrument with different tunings is not a > new idea. > > Lutes also had different tunings, as far back as Dalza in 1508, but > particularly in the first part of the 17th century. I don't know off > the back of my head how many different lute tunings there were > altogether, but there were certainly quite a few. > > The mandora had many different tunings in the 18th century. I seem > to remember there were about 40 different mandora tunings, but I'd > need to check. > > What I don't need to check is that there were over 50 different > tunings for the lyra viol in 17th-century England. The lyra viol is > another 6-string instrument. > > Biber used several different tunings for the violin. > > I could mention quite a few different tunings for the 5-string > banjo. > > No doubt there are other instruments too - who knows? - maybe even > the charango. :-) > > Best wishes, > > Stewart McCoy. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "bill kilpatrick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 4:25 PM > Subject: tuning variation > > >> there's a huge variety of tunings for the guitar. >> given that the renaissance lute also has 6 strings, >> why do you suppose there isn't such a variety for it? >> >> some tunings are more versatile while others have a >> particular effect. given the "do-re-mi-etc." >> progression as a basis for melody, how do you suppose >> these tunings evolved? To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
