I actually believe those who think about such stuff are usually operating under "some form of generally acceptable classification system for 'lutes'," either as written in some source or another or devised in their own heads based upon discussions like these. Organology certainly hasn't shied from lute kin.
It's the specific notion of a biological-style key that I think would likely prove more cumbersome than practical if including substantial detail. I suspect most who want to differentiate colascione from mandora, e.g., probably already have a decent sense of how to do so. I think a key could be constructed--I don't know, maybe already has been--but I suspect a key in this domain would be most useful if very simplified and designed with the generally uninitiated in mind. Even among field biologists, once you know how to identify whatever you happen to be observing, you don't bother using keys any longer. Best, Eugene -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Martyn Hodgson Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 3:57 AM To: lute mailing list list; Braig, Eugene Subject: [LUTE] Re: Chitarrone Dear Eugene, I agree that to produce some form of generally acceptable classification system for 'lutes' would be difficult and even then prone to error/interpretations - but surely we shouldn't not try? I presume, for example, Mendel's inheritance findings have been revised since his day but his contribution shouldn't be ignored. And these early attempts surely allowed further advances in the field: so the same for present day organological research. Martyn --- On Wed, 17/10/12, Braig, Eugene <[email protected]> wrote: From: Braig, Eugene <[email protected]> Subject: [LUTE] Re: Chitarrone To: "lute mailing list list" <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, 17 October, 2012, 22:15 I don't think a dichotomous key would work. As alluded, one of the neat features of biological inheritance is that all things come from similar parental things. Not so when addressing the capricious whims of human creativity. One of my favorite examples is mandolins, with many structurally different things being tuned identically and many functionally different things with similar construction carrying the name. This case is not unique. General "taxonomy" of musical instruments has been around for a great long time (as "organology"), there are even whole scholarly societies committed to it (e.g., [1]http://www.galpinsociety.org/). However, such systems require a great many more judgment calls by their developers than biological systematics. Best, Eugene -----Original Message----- From: [2][email protected] [mailto:[3][email protected]] On Behalf Of William Samson Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 4:41 PM To: Lex van Sante; lute mailing list list Subject: [LUTE] Re: Chitarrone I've been watching this discussion with interest and I wonder if it's feasible to produce a taxonomy of plucked stringed instruments? In particular, is it possible to construct a 'key' with questions that distinguish one instrument from another, as botanists do with different kinds of orchid, for example? I simply throw this in as an idea - I'm NOT volunteering - I'm too old to dodge the huge amounts of flak that would result. Bill From: Lex van Sante <[4][email protected]> To: lute mailing list list <[5][email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, 17 October 2012, 21:17 Subject: [LUTE] Re: Chitarrone Rebec and rebab spring to mind............. Lex Op 17 okt 2012, om 22:05 heeft Monica Hall het volgende geschreven: > Such as ? ............. > > > > Monica > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: [1]WALSH STUART > > To: [2]Monica Hall > > Cc: [3]Lutelist > > Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 8:56 PM > > Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: Chitarrone > > Other instruments than lutes have 'lute-shaped' bodies... > Stuart > > On 17 October 2012 20:29, Monica Hall <[4][1][6][email protected]> wrote: > > Well - what is the difference between a lute and a gittern/mandore. > When is a lute not a lute? Chitarrone as I understand it is a > large member of the lute family i.e. it has a lute shaped body. It > depends what you mean by separate traditions....... > Monica...getting more confused by the minute. > > Diego, unfortunately I cannot read Italian. Are you in agreement > with > Meucci? > Monica, the only things I know about Meucci's article are from > you. As > I understand it, Meucci isn't saying that the chitarrone is a > large > lute. The lute has its own, separate, traditions. The chitarrone > (he > is saying, I think) is a large (massive!) gittern (or > gittern/mandore). > Stuart > On 17 October 2012 18:34, Diego Cantalupi <[1][5][2][7][email protected]> > wrote: > If you can read Italian, you can find my dissertation about > Chitarrone here: > [2][6][3][8]http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf > The first chapter is about ethimology. > Diego >> > To get on or off this list see list information at > [3][7][4][9]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > -- > References > 1. mailto:[8][5][10][email protected] > 2. [9][6][11]http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf > 3. [10][7][12]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > -- > > References > > 1. mailto:[8][13][email protected] > 2. mailto:[9][14][email protected] > 3. mailto:[10][15][email protected] > 4. mailto:[11][16][email protected] > 5. mailto:[12][17][email protected] > 6. [13][18]http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf > 7. [14][19]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > 8. mailto:[15][20][email protected] > 9. [16][21]http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf > 10. [17][22]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > -- References 1. mailto:[23][email protected] 2. mailto:[24][email protected] 3. [25]http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 4. [26]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 5. mailto:[27][email protected] 6. [28]http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 7. [29]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 8. mailto:[30][email protected] 9. mailto:[31][email protected] 10. mailto:[32][email protected] 11. mailto:[33][email protected] 12. mailto:[34][email protected] 13. [35]http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 14. [36]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 15. mailto:[37][email protected] 16. [38]http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 17. [39]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. http://www.galpinsociety.org/ 2. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 3. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 4. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 5. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 6. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 7. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 8. http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 9. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 10. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 11. http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 12. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 13. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 14. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 15. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 16. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 17. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 18. http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 19. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 20. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 21. http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 22. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 23. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 24. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 25. http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 26. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 27. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 28. http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 29. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 30. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 31. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 32. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 33. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 34. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 35. http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 36. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 37. http://us.mc817.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 38. http://www.diegocantalupi.it/tesi.pdf 39. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
