On Nov 12, 2007, at 11:28 AM, Roman Turovsky wrote:

> a.. Eumatius [the student]: ... Also, how does it happen that you  
> do not use frets that are spaced by unusual inequality of  
> intervals, and some other little frets that take away the sharpness  
> from the major third and tenth, as I have seen used by some  
> universally known, skilful men, from whom I understand that both  
> are exceedingly necessary and useful.
>  b.. Fronimo [the teacher]: [
                                                                                
*       *       *
> [Then he points out that those using the tastini do not know much  
> about theory, they just want to hear 'marvels'.]

And indeed, Galilei sounds remarkably like Martyn, complaining that  
David van Ooijen's fretting is theoretically impossible even though  
David actually does it in practice.

But the point here is not that Galilei thinks "frets that are spaced  
by unusual inequality of intervals" and dismissed tastini as  
wrongheaded.  The point is that even in staking out his debating  
position, Galilei surprisingly concedes that the lutenists who  
disagree with him include "universally known, skillful men."  He's  
aware that he's talking about a practice that's common, or respected,  
or both.
--

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