Hi All,
I just have to correct a misunderstanding about Poulton - every one
seems to be assuming that when she says the right arm should approach
the lute at the level of the bridge, she meant the arm coming round the
end of the lute, RH more or less parallel to the strings, the classic
"thumb-under" position clearly shown in many paintings from the 16th C
and illustrated nicely in the LSA video of Jacob Heringman. What she
actually meant was the arm coming down from above, crossing the edge of
the lute roughly where the bass end of the bridge points to the edge -
very much a "thumb-outside" position, as shown in various photos of her
playing.
The difference between "thumb-inside" and "thumb-outside" is a lot to do
with the position of the lute. For TI, keep the body of the lute high
and the neck almost parallel to the floor. For TO, keep the body of the
lute lower and the neck more angled up. The position of the body of the
lute is more significant than the neck angle.
Martin
Mathias Rösel wrote:
I'm not religious about Poulton or arm postures. But if you look at
pictures and videos, you will more often than not find that compromise
posture where the right crosses the strings in something like a 45°
angle. You will notice even a few baroque lute players with thumb-in
technique.
All I'm saying is: Try the Poulton advice (arm parallels the strings)
with renaissance lutes, try the Mouton posture with baroque lutes (I
count 10c lutes among them). You will soon _hear_ their characteristics
and find their advantages.
Some of the old ones were quite picky about it. Nicolas Vallet wrote in
1615 that players who use thumb-in (= 45°) on their lutes, were
ridiculous.
Mathias
"David Tayler" <[email protected]> schrieb:
Ditch the Poulton :)
There are lots of youtube videos now where you can see many different
styles of playing.
dt
At 01:18 PM 8/18/2010, you wrote:
Hello all-
I have a few questions for the experienced players out there who might
be so kind as to answer. I've been working through the Poulton book &
have taken one lute lesson (no teachers within 75 miles of where I
live), and I am still a bit puzzled by the proper right-arm position
when playing. Poulton states that the arm should cross the body of the
lute "about level with the bridge"- I assume that this means that if
one drew an imaginary line extending the bridge to the upper edge of
the face, then the arm should cross near that point. Is this correct?
If so, then if one also keeps the hand in line with the forearm, then
the hand tends to cross the strings at nearly 45 degrees and the elbow
points uncomfortably outward (assuming the lute is held more or less
horizontal). Thumb-under technique is also difficult. Elevating the
headstock helps, but for a long-armed chap like myself the lute ends up
nearly upright, and I figure this is probably not right.
Now, I find having the arm cross at a point just below the upper rear
bout of the body- behind the bridge- to be the most comfortable and
natural. Have I simply misinterpreted Poulton? It seems that there is
a fair amount of variation amongst players in regards to this issue.
Is it a matter of "whatever feels best", and should I not take it that
seriously?
Finally, I find that in whatever position I use, the edge of the face
(where it meets the body) tends to dig into my forearm where it
crosses, and this becomes pretty uncomfortable after a little while.
Is this common & something to get used to, or does it signify that I'm
holding the lute wrong?
Many thanks!
John (from Ohio)
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