For best results, standing is a must. I resisted this for years, but then I realized that sitting AND holding the lute is just not good for the voice. It can be done, but it can be done better standing. Sitting is perhaps a bit better for the lute, but most lute parts can be played standing. After learning perfectly the song from a vocal technical point of view, you could then try transitioning to sitting, but not till the technique is in place. It is usually very easier to memorize the song, or partially memorize the song, then read the lute part. I have no trouble memorizing both, but then I memorize the vocal part and the texts anyway even if I'm not singing because it makes me a better accompanist. When I was a student, all our recitals had to be from memory anyway, (the "jury" system) so I just got into the habit.
A helpful tip is to recite the poem to scope out all the important accents and line breaks and so on, then as a starting tempo take a notch slower than the text reciting speed. This will ensure that the rhetoric is not lost. And, lastly, before singing Amarilli, one should read the preface to Caccini's book, especially where he talks about how to start a song, it is readily available in a translation by Wiley Coyote. Without the "instructions" the music will be somewhat plain, though still beautiful, of course. There are two versions; most people sing the version with the coda, however, the earlier version has no coda. dt At 01:45 AM 3/19/2010, you wrote: >My trick when accompanying myself singing is to get the vocal part >learnt to the point where I no longer need the music or to concentrate >that hard ... and then it's just my hands (in my case on a >harpsichord) I need to worry about - having said that I often >accompany myself when learning notes but usually at the piano where >all note-bashing sins can be assisted by pedals! > >Best, > >Elly > > > >> Hello. >> >> In addition to learning the lute, I have started formal vocal training. >> In choosing to sing Caccini I have hit the "how do you play and sing at >> the same time?" problem. Any cunning ideas? And when reading from a >> figured bass how dense is the chordal underlay? Less than with a >> separate Singer? >> >> Thanks >> >> Regards .. mark >> -- >> >> >>To get on or off this list see list information at >>http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> > > > >-- >Ms Eleanor Smith, MMus >PhD Candidate: Organology >University of Edinburgh > >c/o St Cecilia's Hall >220 Cowgate, Niddry Street >Edinburgh >EH1 1LJ > >-- >The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in >Scotland, with registration number SC005336. > >
