Taken with original lute players' comments it is persuasive--why would they make it up? But it is true, it is a moment in time, they might not be playing the lute in these pictures, just posing. It is interpretation, and there is room for more than one. dt
At 03:13 PM 11/7/2007, you wrote: >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 > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
