Hi Ned, here my daily letter, probably the last. I once had similar questions and no one to discuss or ask, so perhaps I've written too much. Take it for good will.
You wrote : >But I still wonder if, using thumb out, there isn't more of a temptation to do this; namely, play trebles with m-i. For Besard 1603, there was plenty of it. Perhaps you know that his tractate about lute techniqe from the Thesaurus Harmonicus 1603 was reprinted by Robert Dowland in "Variety of Lute-lessons" 1610 as a translation from Latin into English by John Dowland under "Necessary Oservations". See especially p. C2, "These things being....etc.". You find the facsimile here [1]http://musickshandmade.com/lute/facbooks/view/12 pic 9 Before this Besard had thoroughly explained how to play thumb out with using p-i alternation. In the "Isagoge in artem testudinariam" (Augsburg 1617), nearly the same tractatus appears, somewhat extended. Here Besard goes still farther, see p. Dij: "About the two first fingers (of the right hand)/how to use them for colorating (diminution)/ as well as for making common articulations and plucking chords. Concerning the diminutiones or coloratur, this is commonly done with the thumb and index. Now must be noted that instead of those not insuitably, but even well, the first two fingers can be used, especially if the coloraturen (diminutions) are thus that after every third or fifth beat (note), a bass (note) is set/ as can be seen in the attached example . From this application follow two fine advantages. First, the coloratur is much easier for the hand/ second, the uncomely motion or shaking of the arm will be avoided (which else by many cannot be omitted). Example belonging here, see fol. (page) 12. If there are not any Bassi to play with the diminutionibus or coloraturen, or if the diminutions are running too rapidly/ as if for example they had such a mensur [sign of a semifusa] above them: then I think it better that one uses the thumb and index/ (and) also in the case/when the diminutiones happen on the fourth, fifth, or sixth course. What has been said here about using the first two fingers for colorating/there are many, who know to help themselves by this knowledge quite conveniently, also apart from coloraturen, by using the first two fingers instead of the thumb and index. And this way the middle finger acts as a substitute for the thumb, to whom it is most equal -concerning strength." ((translation from German by me. Puh, that oldfashioned German) >I would be working on pieces and asking in what passages the teacher would recommend playing treble lines with m-i as opposed to p-i. Personally, I would rather >play moving lines with p-i whenever possible. Besides of historical style and difficulty, it's a matter of taste. - If Besard was your teacher, see above. - Vallet uses always m-i for treble lines mixed with basses, presumably also for single treble lines. For bass lines he uses p-i (like Besard). - If I remember right Lundgren gives this recommendation: treble lines with a bass for every four notes--> m-i, treble lines with a bass for every six or more notes --> p-i, treble lines without bass--> p-i (like Besard). - (I am no teacher.) I prefer the thumb under hand position pure or modified, as recommended by Damiani. I think it mostly sounds better. But that jumping of the thumb! For music in the older style (before ?1570?) always p-i (with some middle finger on the strong beat before a low note or after punctuation, as already said) , lest there is a strong reason to deviate. For the newer style (Dowland and later): hand position similar to thumb under, treble and bass lines p-i, trebles mixed with basses: like Lundgren or like Vallet (it depends). > The idea of placing the little finger on the top of the lute and not moving it - locking it into that spot - makes no sense to me and seems contrary to the goal of creating > a moving, musically satisfying effect. Yes, I agree. And it is impossible playing from the first down to e.g. the 4th course without moving the pinky; it must be moved to compensate for the shift of the articulating fingers across the strings. See also Damiani's method 3.1, p. 20. Best wishes Karl -- References 1. http://musickshandmade.com/lute/facbooks/view/12 To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
