Another Dilettante as charged: I find this discussion very interesting. I am very new to Renaissance lute, although I have been playing fretted string instruments since I was 4 years old - over 45 years. I find that playing any fretted srting instrument can aid in the playing of another, especially as regards left hand technique. The main differences are in right hand technique and in fret and string spacing. I also play piano and violin, and I find that there are benefits there regarding motor coordination that can be passed on to fretted strings as well. OK, I'm not a "virtuoso" on any of my instruments. Nor do I care to be. Virtuosity for the sake of virtuosity can be quite empty. Read some reviews of Paganini's concerts. People have the same complaint about Liszt. My personal objectives in playing any instrument are enjoyment, and the making of beautiful sounds whether solo or in ensemble. Virtousity can, and often does get in the way of this, especially in ensemble playing. All this said, should we not aspire to be like our greatest idols? It will be good to remember that J.S.Bach was a very proficient player not only on keyboards, but on violin and cello as well. I imagine him as capable of producing good music on just about anything he could get his hands on. Imagine our world if Bach had been led to believe that playing bowed strings would be detrimental to his keyboard skills. I remain, respectfully, Dilettante as charged : ) Tom > Dear All: > > Isn't it possible that playing several plucked instruments can b= > e > mutually reinforcing? If I spend all day playing the vihuela, won't > that = improve my lute playing? If I work on achieving perfect, > pearl-like tones o= n my six-course, won't that improve my tone on > the ten-course? If I learn t= o play the bass strings on my baroque > lute, won't that help me on the theor= bo basses? If I learn to > play continuo on the theorbo, won't that make me a= better > all-round musician? > > We're not talking about a hurdy-gurdy, a pennywhistle and an acc= > ordion here. > > Dilettante as charged, > > Jim > > Feb 6, 2009 05:45:36 AM, [1][email protected] wrote:<= BR> > > I've been bot= hered by the charge of dilettantism (someone who > "prefers diversity to v= irtuosity") which was raised on this > list recently. How many different i= nstruments is it possible to > play to a high professional standard? One? = Two? And how many do > most lutenists try to play? Four? Eight? And the di= fferences > are not trivial: sizes, playing techniques, tunings, repertoir= > e, notation... Hans Keller once wrote an essay denouncing Phoney > Profess= ions, one of which was the Viola Player. Phoney, because > playing the vio= la is so similar to playing the violin that > specialist viola players sho= uldn't need to exist. Yet they > persist. The string player's quest for th= e highest possible > standard on his/her instrument trumps Keller's logic.= Are we in > the lute world systematically harming our playing standards,<= > BR>even the reputation of our instrument, by spreading ourselves > too thi= n? Wouldn't we do better to specialise? Peter (lute, > theorbo, classic= al guitar, baroque guitar, ocarina...) -- To > get on or off th= is list see list information at > [2]http://www.cs= .dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > References > > 1. file://localhost/net/people/lute-arc/3D"ma= > 2. 3D"http://www=/ > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.19/1938 - Release Date: > 2/6/2009 5:28 PM >
Tom Draughon Heartistry Music http://www.heartistry.com 714 9th Avenue West Ashland, WI 54806 715-682-9362
