"When you've seen one lute player hunched over his lute with a pained expression on his face, you've seen the lot. But I agree it's interesting to watch the hands at work, though that takes us into the realm of having someone else to control the camera."
I absolutely agree with the first part of this statement. I make the effort to sit up straight when playing; looks better and is, I'm sure, more conducive to easy breathing. Probably better for the back muscles, too. But even so, when recording myself, I now show just my hands and the instrument, and find this easy to do with the camera set on a tripod - no other help needed to control the camera. Regarding concert hall sound, I often find the sound of recordings presented here and on youTube - when NOT artificially enhanced - more realistic than most commercial recordings. (Martin, your recorded sound seems quite fine to me). But then, I don't find the concert hall a natural setting for lute music. I know that this is a very subjective issue, and many will disagree with me on it. -Ned On Apr 9, 2011, at 5:02 AM, Martin Shepherd wrote: > Hi Stuart, > > My comments are below yours: > > On 08/04/2011 22:01, Stuart Walsh wrote: >> Just to get things in perspective though, roughly how much are the gut >> basses - e.g. the fourth - seventh courses? > On this lute I had a plain gut 4th course, Larson pistoys on 5th and 6th, and > a Larson gimped string on 7th. Dan's prices are on his website. I would > expect the 7th course to last more or less forever and the 6th to last a very > long time, the 5th less so because it is fingered so much, but because I had > an octave on the 5th it is only one expensive string. > > I have been using Sofracob for the thinner strings, which were amazingly > cheap (i.e. probably cheaper than nylon) as well as good. Sadly they went > out of business last year, and most other suppliers seem to be much more > expensive. >> >> I agree that it is interesting to see people actually playing. But >> performance, I think, is yet another skill as well as actually playing the >> music as musically as you are able. I suppose you could ignore the >> performance aspect of performance (body language, composure, movement, >> maybe eye contact with camera etc etc). But would you really wouldn't want >> to ignore all that that any more than ignore the musical aspects of the >> music (i.e.just stolidly sounding the notes)? > When you've seen one lute player hunched over his lute with a pained > expression on his face, you've seen the lot. But I agree it's interesting to > watch the hands at work, though that takes us into the realm of having > someone else to control the camera. >> >> Another problem is that more a more people are using recording devices and >> adding a touch of reverb. I think this is really good as most people are >> just recording at home and not in a beautiful acoustic. But it just looks >> bizarre to see someone in their living room, sounding like they are in a >> concert hall. > Yes, I've often had the same thought, though I prefer the concert hall sound, > even if artificially produced. Perhaps we need less views of the living > room, better lighting, etc. >> >> >> Stuart >> >> >>> >>> On 08/04/2011 18:26, wikla wrote: >>>> Very beautiful! >>>> >>>> But I would also very much like to _see_ the player and playing - important >>>> part of performance... at least to me. >>>> >>>> All the best, >>>> >>>> Arto >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, 8 Apr 2011 13:05:55 +0200, "G. Crona"<[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> Indeed you most successfully have Martin. I should also have added an >>>>> excellent editor as well as a generous sharer of music and knowledge. In >>>>> short a compleat lutenist. >>>>> Cheers! >>>>> >>>>> G. >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> From: "Martin Shepherd"<[email protected]> >>>>> To: "Lute List"<[email protected]> >>>>> Sent: Friday, April 08, 2011 12:56 PM >>>>> Subject: [LUTE] Re: new piece of the month >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Thanks, Goeran. >>>>>> >>>>>> We have debated on this list before the virtues or otherwise of "live" >>>>>> performance-type recordings as opposed to "perfect" commercial CD-type >>>>>> recordings. >>>>>> >>>>>> I don't like to hear blemishes (especially my own!) but at the same time >>>>>> I >>>>>> don't want to spend hours editing out every single one. I usually do a >>>>>> couple of takes and use the best one, sometimes editing particularly >>>>>> gruesome bits - but on the whole my best recordings have been single >>>>>> takes, no edits. If I were actually making a CD I think I would have to >>>>>> do lots of takes and lots of editing, but my main objective with these >>>>>> MP3s is just to share the music and demonstrate the sound of the lutes. >>>>>> I >>>>>> hope I have shown that gut strings can be used to good effect. >>>>>> >>>>>> Best wishes, >>>>>> >>>>>> Martin >>>>>> >>>>>> On 08/04/2011 11:28, G. Crona wrote: >>>>>>> Cool Martin! >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Did you record it all in one go or weed out mistakes in audacity >>>>>>> afterwards? You seem to be quite unique in the lute community in that >>>>>>> you >>>>>>> BOTH build excellent lutes as well as being a very sensitive and able >>>>>>> player. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Kind regards >>>>>>> >>>>>>> G. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Shepherd" >>>>>>> <[email protected]> >>>>>>> To: "Lute List"<[email protected]> >>>>>>> Sent: Friday, April 08, 2011 11:55 AM >>>>>>> Subject: [LUTE] new piece of the month >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Hi All, >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> The new piece of the month is in the usual place: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> www.luteshop.co.uk/month/pieceofthemonth.html >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> It's the last of a series of recordings I made with a Venere 7c lute >>>>>>>> (67cm, strung all in gut) before it went to its new owner. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I hope you enjoy it. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Best wishes, >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Martin >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> To get on or off this list see list information at >>>>> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >>>> >>> >>> >>> >> > >
