Guy Smith wrote:
My recollection of exactly how he held it is a little fuzzy, but he holds it
rather like a pen, with the free end of the string sticking out maybe a 1/4
inch or so (the feather is at the other end, basically just a decoration).
The string is maybe four inches long, and he runs the remainder of it
through his middle and ring fingers, which gives him a firm grip, and lets
him adjust how much of the string is sticking out at any given moment (i.e.,
vary the stiffness of the plectrum).
He did talk about feathers, and as I recall, recommended using the thin end
of ostrich feathers. The main issue is that they don't last very long.
Guy
Thanks.
You get a very 'thin' sort of sound with the thin end of a feather or a
guitar/lute string rather than a more normal plectrum. Maybe he
(Crawford Young) thinks this is an important aspect of the sound -
nasal, reedy, rebec-like.
Stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: Stuart Walsh [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 10:59 AM
To: Guy Smith
Cc: 'Lute Net'
Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: Anyone see Crawford Young's concert?
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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