On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 09:30:01 +1000, uqcmeach <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have found all the discussion and information on gut strings very > interesting. However, stringing with gut may not be a good idea for = > complete > beginners like myself since they don't seem to last very long! > Caroline
02/05/05 Hello Caroline, Most often it's the first course gut string (treble) that breaks (smallest diameter). My bass courses (largest diameter) have not broken since I bought the instrument a few years ago. The good news is that the first course gut string costs the least. So I wouldn't hesitate in going to gut strings if you're worried about the cost of replacing broken strings. Permit me to make a suggestion: think about what your end goal with the lute will be, and then always pick up and play the instrument as if you're at your end goal. For example: my sacred end goal is to play and sing Martin Luther hymns with the lute in my Lutheran church, where I'm already the cantor. I also have a secular end goal, but that will come after I've reached the sacred goal. In church, I will be standing before the congregation. I've a warm baritone/second tenor voice. I want a warm lute sound to compliment my voice. Like you, I'd heard that gut strings provide the warmest and mellowest tone (and my experience has born this out). So I've strung the lute with gut from the first day I got the lute. I never practice sitting down; but always practice standing up with a neck strap. As I practice and learn the music, I think of myself as actually being in the sanctuary of the church. This is the only way I'll practice. When the time comes to bring the lute to the worship service, there will be nothing different from the way I've been practicing. Think about what is your end goal. Why do anything different now, that you will have to relearn later as you near your goal? And why do anything as drastic as changing the sound produced by your lute as you near your goal? Experiment with different strings now to find the sound you like. Then stay with those strings as you learn. I think it will make the learning much easier, quicker, and more enjoyable. Best Regards, "The Other" Stephen Stubbs, Champaign, IL USA To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
