Dear All: I'm sorry, but I must say I'm completely unconvinced by the iconography "showing" the use of the thumb to stop the fifth or sixth course. If anyone were to look at a photo of me playing cittern or five-course plectrum lute, they would see much the same thing. If one is playing single-line with a plectrum on an instrument with a narrow neck, that is the most comfortable position for me, and I suspect many others. And much of the iconography appears to be from an early date. Much more convincing are examples of tablature, such as the Francesco item that Arthur brought up, that would be very difficult or impossible using standard fingering but feasible using the thumb on the sixth course. Just my two cents.... Cheers, Jim
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