David, isn't this the tuning that has been suggested by Eph Segerman,
I think, for the shorter string length English instrument? Actually,
there shouldn't be any problem with strings or tensions as the top
courses in the new tuning are similar to the pitches of the octave
strings in the original tunings. I'll have to try it when I don' need
to use my cittern for a bit.
-- Doc
On Nov 11, 2009, at 12:59 AM, David Tayler wrote:
Everyone loves the cittern. But suppose you want to play in
meantone?
Specifically, alternating major and minor semitones such as in this
delicious photo?
[1]http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/old/img_1600/34cm_citternscale
.jpg
Let's look at a few possibilities.
The French 4 course tuning
aa'a' gg'g'd'd'e'e'
and the Italian
bbggd'd'e'e'
And let's assume this is tastini free--puh-leeze--
Right away, we see the the G makes an A flat on the first fret of
both
tunings. Rats, shades of F minor.
And right away we see that the Italian tuning is no good because
there
is a both a B and a G.
But if we tune the French tuning up a fifth--and adjust the
strings--
we get the pitch set
E D A B
Which gives the following scales
E F F# G G# A
D Eb E F F# G
A Bb B C C# D
B C C# D D# E
This gives good meantone for chords, and has both an E flat and a D
sharp, although for solo music the the E on the top course is a bit
high, this is mitigated by the the lowness of the open string.
For the Italian tuning, a single extra fret would help the G
sharp, as
it does on the baroque guitar.
dt
--
References
1. http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/old/img_1600/34cm_citternscale.jpg
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