Well, I've already modified my position by advancing towards the rose but only a centimeter or so, pretty much exactly as in the Mouton print http://www.rmguitar.info/French.htm . I've never played thumb-in, ever, and find it impossible. Playing close to the bridge, from my experience, works much better with all-gut strings. I play without nails.
As for the two sound files on that page, one might expect the Chaconne, played with little finger on the bridge, would be less warm than the 'Doodle Prelude' which was played half way between bridge and rose as in the photo at the foot of the page. But, the Chaconne has less treble, and might seem to some listeners to be too muddy. I think it sounds ok, considering the lute was only a few days old when recorded. I think I've found the happy medium, as per the Mouton portrait. Of course, most people will hear these files through their computer speakers, and it might be hard to discern much difference between the two files. Good quality headphones make a huge difference. Rob www.rmguitar.info -----Original Message----- From: Martin Shepherd [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 15 December 2007 09:45 To: Lute Net Subject: [LUTE] RH on the bridge? Dear All, I just found that I wrote this (in the context of explaining thumb-in, thumb-out) a while ago: > Thumb-out is more difficult, and I think we have some way to > go before we really master it (though Nigel North seems to have sorted > it out). It is further complicated by the "correct" position of the > hand being so close to the bridge, a position which usually yields > disappointing results, whatever kind of strings are used. But we're > working on it..... Well, working on it indeed. Rob MacKillop has just recorded a piece with the little finger on the bridge, and while I'm not so keen on the sound as on the first sound clip on the same lute, it seems to work - see www.rmguitar.info/Maler.htm Has anyone else tried this? Best wishes, Martin To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
