Dear Stewart, I really enjoyed the task you set us, i.e., to compare our spontaneous fingerings with your suggestions. I would have done things exactly as you suggested with one exception. I would have played the second note of the first measure (bar 13) as indicated in your second possibility (i.e., 1c on the fifth string and 2d on the second) and then would have slid the second finger from the third to the second fret for the first note of the second measure (I hope I have made myself clear).
Of the various discussions on this list, I find those addressing technical aspects, as your most recent one did, by far the most helpful, and I sincerely thank you for taking the time to share your reflections on your morning's practice. Sincerely, Stephen Arndt ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stewart McCoy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Lute Net" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 10:51 AM Subject: [LUTE] Lute fingering in Fuhrmann's Ballet > Dear All, > > This morning I played through a little Ballet from page 150 of > Fuhrmann's _Testudo Gallo-Germanica_ (Nuremberg, 1615). I think it > is an ideal piece for showing what I consider to be correct > left-hand fingering for the lute. > > Fingering is very much a personal thing, of course, and everyone > will have his own way of doing it, but I hope my generalisations > will be tolerated for the sake of the argument. (Don't forget to > read this message with a mono-spaced font like Courier. It might be > necessary to click on Reply to make that font available.) > > I believe there are three basic hand positions: > > 1) Covering four frets: one finger per fret: > > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > | |\ | > __a___1c__3e__4f__3e___4f__ > _____________________|_1c__ > _____________________|_2d__ > _______a_____________|_____ > _3e____________a_____|__a__ > ___________________a_|_____ (from bars 11-12) > > One finger per fret is usually best for scales and single melodic > lines. > > 2) Covering three frets: 3rd & 4th fingers work in tandem across the > same fret: > > |\ > |\ > | > ____________ > _1c___4e__|_ > _2d_______|_ > _3e_______|_ > __________|_ > __________|_ (from bar 3) > > The 3rd finger holds e on the 4th course, while the 4th finger plays > e on the 2nd course. Both operate at the same fret. > > 3) Covering two frets: 1st & 2nd fingers also work in tandem across > the same fret: > > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ | > |\ | | > ___________________________________ > _4d__2c__a______a_|_________2c__||_ > ____________3d____|_3d______3d__||_ > __a_______________|_____1c__1c__||_ > __________________|__a__________||_ > __________________|_____________||_ (from bars 15-16) > /a > > I have noticed a tendency with some players to maintain the first of > these hand positions, not only for playing single lines, but for > chordal passages, where the other hand positions might be more > appropriate. The sort of thing I have in mind is where there are > occasional notes at the 4th fret, as in this example from bars 13-15 > of the Fuhrmann Ballet: > > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > | |\ | > _a_________________________________a__________ > ____d_|_c__a_____a__c__a__c__d___|_______d__c_ > ______|_______d__________________|____d_______ > ______|__________________________|_______a____ > _e__c_|_a___________a__________c_|_e__________ > ______|__________________________|____________ > > Think how you would finger this passage, before scrolling down to > the rest of this message. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Some players might be tempted to use the 4th finger for e5. > > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > | |\ | > _a___________________________________a__________ > ____3d_|_2c__a_____a_2c_a_2c_3d___|_______3d_2c_ > _______|_______3d_________________|____3d_______ > _______|__________________________|________a____ > _4e_1c_|__a___________a________1c_|_4e__________ > _______|__________________________|_____________ > > Others might prefer to stop e5 with the 3rd finger, (which is > longer, and can reach across the fingerboard easier), and stay in > 2nd position: > > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > | |\ | > _a___________________________________a__________ > ____2d_|_1c__a_____a_1c_a_1c_2d___|_______2d_1c_ > _______|_______2d_________________|____2d_______ > _______|__________________________|________a____ > _3e_1c_|__a___________a________1c_|_3e__________ > _______|__________________________|_____________ > > This is better, but the 1st finger has to keep hopping between the > 2nd and 5th course, and the 4th finger remains idle. > > My preference is to maintain, where possible, the 3rd hand position > described above, which has two pairs of fingers working in tandem > along a fret. It means changing position for a note of two, and > using the 4th finger at the 3rd fret, and the 3rd finger at the 4th > fret. This may seem cack-handed, but it's safer, easier to play > legato, and all four fingers share the work: > > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > |\ |\ |\ > | |\ | > _a___________________________________a__________ > ____4d_|_2c__a_____a_2c_a_2c_4d___|_______4d_2c_ > _______|_______3d_________________|____2d_______ > _______|__________________________|________a____ > _3e_1c_|__a___________a________1c_|_3e__________ > _______|__________________________|_____________ > > Best wishes, > > Stewart McCoy. > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
