Moose leather pants were a part of cavalry uniform until the Crimean war. No lutenistic use, I suspect. RT ______________ Roman M. Turovsky http://polyhymnion.org/swv
> I wonder about the materials used in 16-18th cent. clothing, especially pants > and shirts. I know that wearing leather pants would make holding the lute much > easier while sitting. It would be stylish at a minimum. > > --- Martyn Hodgson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> Before inventing new ways of holding an instrument, it's useful to look at >> what early players actually did. >> >> For the lute the following come to mind: >> >> - Iconography depicting extended peghead lutes (ie theorboes, archlutes, late >> german baroque lutes) frequently shows the use of a ribbon/strap running from >> the base to an attachment point on the rear of the peghead eg from Castaldi >> (1622) right up to Scheidler(c1800). Most extant early instruments of this >> type also have attachment points (buttons/slotted fittings). >> >> - Many later baroque lutes have two buttons: one at the base and one on the >> back close to the neck. It has been suggested (Spence) that a chord was >> passed between the two and looped around a coat button (early coats were much >> heavier/stiffer than modern). I seen gut strings fastened on a few 18thC >> lutes but, of course, these cld be later additions. To be frank, I've tried >> this method and have not been happy with the results - has anybosy else? >> >> - rest the lute against a table ( early sources and some iconography) - this >> also assists the resonance of the instrument (rather like Aguado's >> 'tripodion'). >> >> Finally, it seems to me that most (not all) depictions of lute players show >> the instrument being held fairly high ie against the lower chest rather than >> the stomach (rather akin to the flamenco guitarist position compared to that >> of a modern 'classical' guitarist) with the body resting on the left thigh >> rather than in the lap. A holding arrangement should allow for this position >> and posture. >> >> >> >> >> Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com >> -- >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> > >
