> -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of [email protected] > Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 11:38 PM > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Jan Gruter's technique > > Ned, > > I've never seen any modern player do real "thumb-out" technique. > Most people, even the big guys, do as Jan does in the video: a sort of > "half thumb" that is neither in or out, but is more closely related to > thumb-under in terms of technique and tone. This, in spite of the fact > that virtually the entire body of iconographic evidence from after c.1600 > (and much of it before) show lute players with the wrist bent considerably > so that the right hand fingers are nearly perpendicular to the strings. > Usually this is combined with pinky placement very near - or on or behind > - the bridge. I've even seen some pictures of lutenists with their > pinkies totally off the top like alla Segovia. The problem, of course, > (and the reason no one does it nowadays) is how to produce a tone that has > body, resonance and dynamic range with this position.
[Eugene C. Braig IV] ...Not to mention how taxing it can be on a human wrist. I think the reason for abandoning that position amongst professional post-Tarrega /post-Segovia guitarists (other than Giglia) is as much physiological as anything. It is interesting that thumb-out lutenists don't seem to put much effort into exploring that stance. Best, Eugene To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
