I don't know if the figure 8 shape contributes in any significant way to the sound of the guitar, but I thought the narrowing of the waist on string intsruments was to accomodate the bow. Isn't there a view that the violas da gamba evovlved from vihuelas whose players played arco?
Gary ----- Original Message ----- From: "bill kilpatrick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Monica Hall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Vihuelalist" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 2:54 PM Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: who invented the guitar > your goodselves and google are all i've got! > > inaccuracy on the internet is bad enough but coupled > with a failing memory ... it's a real problem ... to > wit: > > i remember reading ... somewhere ... that the canary > island timple was introduced to the islands by arab > miners brought from n. africa to work the mines there. > it's possible that the figure "8" shape could have > traveled back to the maghreb from iberia but i suspect > the opposite is more likely. > > could a half-section of an hour-glass gourd be the > source of the figure "8" shape? > > - bill > > --- Monica Hall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I am afraid Google has got most of it wrong. > > > > The term guitarra/quinterne etc, in medieval sources > > does not necessarily > > refer to the figure of eight shaped instrument at > > all but to a type of small > > lute. > > > > I can't go into all the details but Tinctoris > > describes the guitar as > > follows > > > > > > -a small tortoise shaped instrument invented by the > > Catalans which some call > > ghiterra, others ghiterna > > > > > > > > The ghiterra is used most rarely, because of the > > thinness of its sound. > > When I heard it in Catalonia, it was being used much > > more often by women, to > > accompany their love songs, than by men. > > > > > > > > In other words the instrument is a small lute or > > mandora. > > > > > > > > The vihuela is described as > > > > > > > > -an instrument invented by the Spanish, which both > > they and the Italians > > call the viola, but the French the demi-luth. > > > > > > -this viola differs from the lute in that the lute > > is much larger and > > tortoise-shaped, while the viola is flat, and in > > most cases curved inwards > > on each side. > > > > > > > > The relevant article to read is still > > > > > > > > Lawrence Wright - The medieval gittern and citole : > > a case of mistaken > > identity > > > > > > > > in Galpin Society Journal, Vol. 30, 1977, p.8-42. > > > > > > > > Mudarra is indeed the first person known to have > > published music for the > > 4-course guitar. > > > > > > > > Only five of the books printed between 1550-1555 are > > by Leroy & Ballard. > > The rest are by Morlaye/Gorlier. They do not > > include any 5-course music. > > > > > > > > There is a lot missing from the rest of it but I > > haven't time to write a > > book on the subject at present.. > > > > > > > > Don't believe everything you find on the Internet. > > > > > > > > Monica > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "bill kilpatrick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 2:23 PM > > Subject: [VIHUELA] who invented the guitar > > > > > > > gleaned the following from a "5c. vihuela" alert > > on > > > google in response to the question of "who > > invented > > > the guitar?" ... anything missing?: > > > > > > 1265 Juan Gil of Zamora mentions the early guitar > > in > > > "Ars Musica." > > > > > > 1283-1350 Guitarra Latina & Guitar Moresca are > > > mentioned multiple times in the poems of the > > > Archpriest of Hita > > > > > > 1306 A "gitarer" was played at the Feast of > > > Westminster in England > > > > > > 1404 "Der mynnen regein" by Eberhard Von Cersne > > makes > > > reference to a "quinterne." > > > > > > 1487 Johannes Tinctoris described the guitarra as > > > being invented by the Catalans. This refers to the > > > four course guitar. Each course represents one > > pair of > > > double strings. > > > > > > 1546 "Tres Libros de Musica en Cifras para > > Vihuela" by > > > Alonso Mudarra is the first publication to include > > > music for guitar. > > > > > > 1551-1555 Nine books of tablature were published > > by > > > Adrian Le Roy. These include the first pieces for > > 5 > > > course guitar. The addition of the fifth course > > was > > > attributed to Vicente Espinel > > > > > > 1600-1650 Many publications of tablature for the > > > guitar. It's popularity begins to rival the lute. > > > > > > 1674 Publication of "Guitarre Royal" by F. > > Corbetta > > > increased the guitar's popularity. It was > > dedicated to > > > Louis XIV. > > > > > > 1770-1800 A sixth string was added to the guitar > > and > > > the courses were replaced by single strings. > > > > > > 1800-1850 Guitar enjoyed a large popularity both > > in > > > performances and publishing. Fernando Sor, Mauro > > > Guiliani, Matteo Carcassi and Dioniso Aguado all > > > performed, taught, wrote and had published their > > > compositions. > > > > > > 1850-1892 Guitar maker Antonio de Torres develops > > the > > > larger more resonant instrument we know today. > > > > > > 1916 Segovia performs at Ateneo, the most > > important > > > concert hall in Madrid. Before this it was thought > > > that the guitar did not have the volume for this > > type > > > of venue. > > > > > > 1946 Nylon replaces gut as a string material > > > > > > http://earlymusiccharango.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ > > > Yahoo! Answers - Got a question? Someone out there > > knows the answer. Try > > > it > > > now. > > > http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > > > > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > > http://earlymusiccharango.blogspot.com/ > > > ___________________________________________________________ > Yahoo! Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try it > now. > http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/ > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.463 / Virus Database: 269.7.4/811 - Release Date: 5/18/2007 3:50 PM > >
