Guy Smith wrote:
IIRC, from his 2008 class at LSA, it's a guitar E string or a similar length
of nylon, with a bit of feather attached. He talked about using real
feathers, but they tend to break down fairly quickly.
Guy
I wish I had been at the concert in London to actually see Crawford
playing. In his chapter on 'Lute, Gittern & Citole' in Duffin's
'Performer's Guide etc', he says:
"...alternating up and down plucking becomes difficult or impossible
when the plectrum is to bulky and stiff." In medieval iconography he
sees fine, thin plectra. He mentions ostrich feathers - but he doesn't
here mention the use of the floppy end of the quill (which I've been
told, he advocates). And he quotes 18th century mandolinist, Gervasio:
"the quill must not be stiff, but on the contrary, carved very thin."
But, as far as I know (and thanks to communications off-list),
mandoline players - and (almost?) all plectrum players play with much
'bulky and stiff' plectra.I wonder why he thinks alternating up and down
strokes is not good with a stiff plectrum when that's seems to be just
what every plectrum player does in fact do?
Guy, can you describe what his use of the guitar E string (the top E,
presumably) looked like and what bit of feather and where it was
attached...and why? It seems quite bizarre - but intriguing. I'm not a
plectrum player - but dabbling with plectrum play - and with a floppy
feather which is possibly a bit mad.
Stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf
Of Stuart Walsh
Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 5:36 AM
To: Lute Net
Subject: [LUTE] Anyone see Crawford Young's concert?
Crawford Young gave a concert last night in London. I couldn't get to it.
I'd be very interested to know anything about the polyphonic stuff with
psaltery and harp - like what instrument did what? And no percussion in
this?
And - if anyone was sharp-eyed enough - what was he using as a plectrum?
(Crawford Young uses a bit of guitar string or the floppy end of a
feather for a plectrum, evidently!)
Stuart
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