Dear Stewart, Thank you very much again for your detailed response. It was very helpful.
Have you ever considered writing a book, or at least an article, on fingering (both right hand and left)? I would love to see a work that systematically presents the various problems lutenists typically encounter, illustrates them with passages from the lute's repertoire, and then explains the solution (as you have done so well here). I think that such a work would go a step or two beyond the standard lute tutors, would thus fill a gap in the literature, and would be very well received. (I would certainly buy a copy!) And you seem eminently qualified to write it. Thank you again and best regards, Stephen Arndt ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stewart McCoy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Lute Net" <[email protected]> Cc: "Stephen Arndt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Mathias Roesel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Martin Shepherd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 8:47 AM Subject: Lute fingering in Capirola's Recerchar Primo > Dear Stephen, > > Many thanks indeed for your message and your kind comments. You ask > about playing parallel 10ths in high positions. The same principles > apply, depending on context, with a choice between the three > fingering patterns I described in my previous message. (I shall use > the word "pattern" rather than "position" to avoid ambiguity.) To > re-cap, the three patterns were as follows: > > 1) Covering four frets; one finger per fret: > > __________________a__1c__3e__4f__ > ______a__1c__2d__________________ > __2d_____________________________ > _________________________________ > _________________________________ > _________________________________ > > 2) Covering three frets; 3rd & 4th fingers at one fret: > > __4d________________________ > ___a__||_________||__4d__||_ > __1b__||_1b__4d__||__3d__||_ > ______||_2c______||______||_ > ______||_3d______||______||_ > __3d__||_________||__1b__||_ > > 3) Covering two frets; 1st & 2nd fingers also at one fret: > > ___a________________________________ > ______4d_||__2c__4d___||__4d__2c_||_ > __1c_____||__3d_______||__3d_____||_ > __2c_____||__1c_______||_________||_ > _________||___a_______||_________||_ > _________||___________||__1c_____||_ > > Bearing this in mind, let's look at parallel 10ths. The > one-finger-per-fret pattern won't apply, because that is more > suitable for single-line melodies. Choosing between the other two > patterns is determined by the number of frets to be covered. If a > passage of parallel 10ths covers three frets, you use the second of > my patterns: > > ______________ _____________ > ___a__1b__4d__ __1b__+__4d__ > ______________ _____________ > ______________ = _____________ > _______a__2c__ __2c_________ > __3d__________ __3d_________ > > If only two frets are to be covered, you use the third of those > patterns: > > ______________ _____________ > ___a__2c__4d__ __2c__+__4d__ > ______________ = _____________ > ______________ _____________ > _______a__1c__ ______+__1c__ > __3d__________ __3d_________ > > Using those two patterns will take care of most of the parallel > 10ths in low positions. Here the two patterns are combined: > > _______________a__2c__4d_____ > ___a__1b__4d______________||_ > __________________________||_ > ___________________a__1c__||_ > _______a__2c__3d__________||_ > __3d______________________||_ > > The essential difference between those two patterns, is whether you > use the 1st or 2nd finger with the 4th finger (chords 3 and 6 of the > previous example). The choice of pattern is determined by the > context. If you have just used your 1st finger (chord 2), you use > your 2nd finger with the 4th finger (chord 3); if you've just used > your 2nd finger (chord 5), you'll use your 1st finger next (chord > 6). > > The same principles apply in higher positions. If the chord covers > three frets, you will normally opt for my second pattern: > > __4h__ > ______ > ______ > __1f__ > ______ > ______ > > If the chord covers only two frets, you have a choice between the > two patterns, depending on the context: > > __4f___ __4f__ > _______ ______ > _______ or ______ > __2e___ __1e__ > _______ ______ > _______ ______ > > If the parallel 10ths change position along the neck, it is > generally wise for one finger (usually the 4th finger) to keep > contact with a string (touching, but not pressing down), as it moves > from one chord to the next. > > __4d__4f__4h__4i___ > ___________________ > ___________________ > __1c__2e__1f__2h___ > ___________________ > ___________________ > > I imagine these four chords continuing from the previous passage of > parallel 10ths, so I start with the 1st finger with the 4th. Notice > how the 4th finger stays in contact with the 1st course, while the > other two fingers alternate, sharing out the work between them. > > Having a choice between the two patterns may cause problems. In the > previous example it would be possible to use the 1st and 4th fingers > throughout. Although this would have the advantage of keeping the > same fingers (1st and 4th) on the same strings throughout, I think > it would be unwise, because it would mean two extra changes of > pattern, increasing the risk of a mistake. > > A good example of all this in practice comes in Capirola's Recerchar > Primo: > > |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ > | |\ | |\ | |\ > |. | | | |. | > _______________a___2c__4d______2c__a________a___ > __a__1b_|_4d_____|________|_a________|_4d_____|_ > _1b_____|________|________|__________|________|_ > ________|________|__a__1c_|_____a____|________|_ > ______a_|_2c__3d_|________|_______3d_|_1c__3d_|_ > _3d_____|________|________|__________|________|_ > > Pattern 2 ------- Ptn 3 ---------------------- > > |\ |\ |\ |\ > | |\ | |\ > | | | | > _2c__4d___4f__4h_____4f_4d___2c__4d_____2c__a___ > ________|________|_________|________|_________|_ > ________|________|_________|________|_________|_ > __a__1c_|_2e__1f_|___2e_1c_|__a__1c_|____a____|_ > ________|________|_________|________|______3d_|_ > ________|________|_a_______|________|_a_______|_ > > Ptn 3 -- Ptn 2 -------- Ptn 3 ------ > > I would resist the temptation to use the 1st finger for e on the 4th > course. That would be fine moving from bars 6 to 7 (keeping the > fingers and the pattern the same), but it would be too risky moving > to and from the chord with h on the 1st course (keeping the fingers > the same, but changing the pattern). > > One last point: hold the 2nd finger at the 2nd fret of the 1st > course from the beginning of bar 3 right up to the last chord of bar > 4. The same happens in the last two bars. > > Best wishes, > > Stewart. > > PS To Mathias Rösel (I hope you're still with us), and to Martin > Shepherd: thank you both for your contributions to this thread. I > totally agree with Martin's extra thoughts about left-hand > fingering, which (if I remember right) concur with something Mathias > wrote some time ago. > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
