Rob, I play theorbo more than anything (the only instrument which seems to pay and you do get a lot of variety) - mine is in A at 93cm. In fact G is a very strong key (possibly with D the strongest) on the A theorbo - quite a few open strings and the relative keys are also strong. Actually all the keys you mention are good on the A instrument and have generally less stronger resonant shapes on the G instrument which favours flat keys - hence why I also have a small theorbo in G (76cm) with only the top course the octave down which I use mostly for the small scale English domestic repertoire (Lawes, Lanier et al) who frequently favour these keys. Problem is also that 84cm is towards the lower end of the scale for a theorbo and if you tune down a tone to G you may find some of the lower fingered courses are not as strong as you wld wish (assuming you wont use overwound on the 5th even if you do on the 6th). Indeed, if I had a large Italian instrument in G I'd expect it to be like the biggest of the Italian instruments ie around 98/99cm. regards, Martyn
Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I have a theorbo being made now by Malcolm Prior for delivery by the end of February. Very much looking forward to it as I haven't played a theorbo in ten years or more. It is an 84cms Koch model, Italian tuning. Now, I've been looking at the song repertoire by Giulio and Francesca Caccini, a repertoire ideally suited to theorbo accompaniment. Giulio played it, and his daughter possibly played it - she was respected as a lute player, although the type of lute was never specified. At least in Giulio's music one might expect 'theorbo keys' - Am, Dm, A, D. Here are the keys from his 1614 edition (the only one I have to hand): G or Gm ///// ///// ///// ///// / D or Dm //// A or Am /// F ///// // E / And Francesca's (from 'Il primo libro delle musiche' 1618 - Indiana University Press) G or Gm ///// ///// Am // F /// Bb / C / So, a very high percentage based on G. All the keys are obviously possible on a theorbo in A, but I wonder if their theorbo was in G. I imagine someone (or more than one) has done research into this, and it would be interesting to read their findings. I've also noticed that a few theorbo recordings are on a theorbo in G, both solo and continuo. Is it common among modern players? I imagine G would be an easier transition for Renaissance players who think in G more easily than A. I'm planning on having it tuned in A, with A=440, but I'm interested in what others are doing, and general thoughts pro and contra any particular tuning. Rob www.rmguitar.info -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html --------------------------------- Yahoo! Answers - Get better answers from someone who knows. Tryit now. --
