A rank amateur observation on octave s for the fifth course:
I play mainly 16th c. music on my 8-course lute. I tried octave
stringing on 5, because I saw/heard situations where it just seemed right.
However, I didn't like the sound of it on my instrument--could never get
used to it; so, back to unisons. However, playing some earlier Italian
pieces (like Capirola), I found that those places that seemed to want the
octave sounded fine (to my ear) if I worked in the octave on a different
course: eg, an open 5 (c) jumping to an open 3 (d') seemed to benefit by
playing d fret on 3 (c') along with the open 5. Not, I suppose, as subtle
as an octave string, but it seems to work.
Assuming my description is comprehensible--is this perhaps a
legitimate way to deal with that octave stringing business?
Thanks and regards,
Leonard Williams
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