Simply Genial!!! (LOL) Thanks David. Regards,
Juan Fco. 2007/5/28, David Van Edwards <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > Dear Juan, > > I will address the bridge spacing issue with some more data from > historic lutes when I've been through my drawings later this > afternoon, but meanwhile on the subject of pianists' hand sizes you > might like this wonderful take on it! > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifKKlhYF53w > > Best wishes, > > David > > > At 13:34 +0200 28/5/07, Juan Fco. Prieto wrote: > >Thanks also for your contribution, Jon. I agree mainly with you but I > think > >that pianists, fortunately, have not such problems -like us- : All the > >keyboards are identical, regardless hands size, and this standard make > >possible people to play around the world. No matter they have small hands > >like Alicia de Larrocha or big ones, like Arcadi Volodos. That's another > >world. My son plays piano and he was not worried thinking about the key > >spacing on his recently bought instrument. He had only to choose model > >(brand) and size. Even in the classical guitar world seems to be a more > >standard spacing (about 11 mm. between strings at bridge) than for the > lute. > >I want to encourage you to keep enjoying the lute and the music for a > very > >long time. > >My best regards, > > > >Juan Fco. Prieto. > > > >P.S.: Jon, I'm also playing a 10c. lute I built from a kit in 1980. This > was > >a very funny adventure that ended happily: I was able to finish it and... > >the lute sounds quite well! But in some moments I was afraid to end with > a > >pile of crashed woods, useful for barbecue. :-)) > > > > > >2007/5/27, Jon Murphy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> > >> Juan, > >> > >> I hesitate to interject here, I am a very amateur lutenist (and > although I > >> still receive the email from the lute-list I direct it to a separate > >> "inbox" > >> as it is so voluminous). This came to me through the lute-builder > list. > >> > >> I am not a purist for the instrument, I play a kit version of what > >> Musikits > >> called a "flat back lute". The designer was a guitarist with no > knowledge > >> of > >> lute (he made his G lute too long) as he really expected his customers > to > >> buy it, and make it, as a "renaissance twelve string guitar". I made > the > >> modifications, and I would call it an excellent "practice instrument" > >> rather > >> than a "flat back lute". It has been played by several real lutenists, > >> including Ronn McFarlane, and judged a "sweet little instrument" - I > think > >> we can call that "damned with faint praise". > >> > >> Yes, I ramble, but I'm coming to a point. I am currently making a > >> renaissance lute from plans (for those who have heard this before the > >> delay > >> was caused by a minor stroke - but all is well and I'll be getting > back to > >> making the lute in the late summer). One thing I've learned from my > >> practice > >> lute is that the course spacing at the nut should be defined by your > own > >> fingers and hand, not by some classic formula. The stroke hit my left > >> side, > >> and although I have full mobility of the left hand fingers I find I > don't > >> get a clean touch on the courses and tend to "buzz" the next string. > My > >> hands are small, in one sense, as the fingertips are narrow - but I > have a > >> good reach (fifty five years on guitar). I intend to widen the > fingerboard > >> (and the nut) on my new lute in order to make it fit my fingers, > instead > >> of > >> trying to make my fingers fit it. I'm sure that the "old boys" did the > >> same > >> when they went to their lute builder. I'm also thinking of spreading > the > >> bridge a bit, as my aging body hasn't the accuracy of placement it > used to > >> have - but as my right hand isn't affected by the stroke I'll think > about > >> that a bit. > >> > >> Basically what I'm saying is that "standards" have no place in > >> instruments, > >> except the standards of the music and the play. There are too few > lutes > >> preserved to show the individual differences that might have been made > for > >> the particular lutenist. Find a separation that works for you, and an > easy > >> way to do that is to make a "dummy" lute. Cut a piece of wood of > > > appropriate > >> length and get a bunch of "zither pins" (as used for the folk harp, or > >> psaltery) to anchor the strings. Then make several nuts and bridges to > >> guide > >> them. It won't be an instrument, as it won't have any resonance, but > it > >> will > > > let you try the feel of the spacings. (I'm going to do that before I > >> settle > >> on my modifications to the plans I have - which I may also modify from > a 7 > >> course to an 8 course renaissance). > >> > >> As an old curmudgeon I would normally say that one should learn to fit > >> oneself to the standards, but as one who has been around a long time I > can > >> recognize that each hand is different, and one can't change the shape > of > >> one's fingers. > >> > >> Best, Jon > >> > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: "Juan Fco. Prieto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > >> "lutelist" > >> <[email protected]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 2:29 AM > >> Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Re: String spacing. Please Help. > >> > >> > >> > My most sincere thanks, Chad, Bob, Clive and Sterling. > >> > This copy you mentioned, Bob, may help me a lot. I could resend it > to my > >> > luthier. On the other hand, I found a modern tendency to separate a > bit > >> > more > >> > the strings at the nut (more separation between the strings of a > course, > >> > moving the octave to the right of the former position, as we can see > in > >> > the > >> > image linked below. Note the previous nut marks and the real > position of > >> > the > >> > octave. That's probably trying to minimize the *slapping effect?*) > >> > > >> > http://www.lute.net/instruments/blute0606/pegf.jpg > >> > > >> > My best regards for you, > >> > > >> > Juan Fco. Prieto. > >> > > >> > P.S.: Ah, Mr. Barto, let me say that your 7th Weiss recording is > >> > breathtaking! One of the best of the Naxos series IMHO (I own till > now > >> all > >> > the 8 CD and it's really very hard to make such choice, because we > are > >> > accoustomed to an always outstanding performance). The sound itself > is > >> > even > >> > richer than usual, with some " *microfluctuations*" in tone (Maybe > due > >> to > >> > the more flexibility of nylgut? I don't know, but your Rutherford > seems > >> to > >> > sound deeper and more *nasal*) that are adding a *plus* to the final > >> sonic > >> > result. I have no words -my English is so limited...- to express > how > >> this > >> > recording impressed me. I noticed, also, the main tone is lowered > one > >> half > >> > tone respect to A=415. Don't stop recording, please. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > 2007/5/25, Chadwick Neal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> >> > >> >> Hi Juan and Bob > >> >> I am finishing a swan neck b lute, and I thought a > discussion > >> >> would > >> >> be nice also for the left hand. For the eight fingered courses I > have > >> >> made > >> >> > >> >> two templates with an overall spacing of 57.5mm and the other at > 59mm. > >> I > >> >> am > >> >> unsure which to start with. I was reading some info on Linda > Sayce's > >> >> website > >> >> which she indicates that you can ask the hand to stretch along the > >> >> strings > >> >> > >> >> or across them but not both simultaneously. This is the only online > >> >> mention > >> >> of the nut spacing that I have found. > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> Chad > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> -----Original Message----- > >> >> From: Juan Fco. Prieto [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> >> Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 5:51 AM > >> >> To: lutelist; [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; > >> >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> >> Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] String spacing. Please Help. > >> >> > >> >> Dear lutenists and luthiers: > >> >> > >> >> I need to make a decision on string spacing matter for my next > baroque > >> >> lute. > >> >> Could you suggest me a "*standard*" string spacing (at nut and at > >> bridge) > >> >> for a baroque lute (13 c., bass rider 707/770 string length)? What > >> about > >> >> string distribution? Do you agree with this "*Roman Turovsky > law*"?: > >> >> > >> >> "Another important point is the bridge spacing (see above). It is > >> >> recommended to have a distance of 15.5 cm between the top and the > >> bottom > >> >> strings, even if you have small hands. This bridge spacing allows > one > >> to > > > >> play cleanly." > >> >> ( http://polyhymnion.org/swv/theaxe.html) > >> >> > >> >> My span is 23 cm. long (End of thumb to end of pinkie, hand > extended) A > >> >> brief poll about your lute string spacing may help me. > >> >> Thanks all the people in advance. And specially thanks to Roman > > > Turovsky > >> >> for > >> >> this -above mentioned- awesome web page. > >> >> Greetings from Spain. > >> >> -- > >> >> Juan Fco. Prieto. > >> >> > >> >> -- > >> >> > >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at > >> >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > >> >> > >> >> > >> > > >> > > >> > -- > >> > Juan Fco. > >> > > >> > -- > >> > >> > > > > > >-- > >Juan Fco. > > > >-- > > > -- > The Smokehouse, > 6 Whitwell Road, > Norwich, NR1 4HB > England. > > Telephone: + 44 (0)1603 629899 > Website: http://www.vanedwards.co.uk > > -- Juan Fco. --
