Point of information - the original playing position of the pipa is horizontal, as these paintings will show.
Tang dynasty: http://www.liufangmusic.net/images/pictures/tang_pipa.jpg Tang dynasty, with plectrum: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Pipa_player_dunhuang1.jpg Song dynasty: http://www.houshow.com/school/education/_images/pipa.jpg While it is true that the majority of pipa players now play their instruments nearly at a vertical angle, those who play pipa according to the older schools do not. Nanguan (Fujian Tang music) pipa: http://english.moc.gov.tw/article/index.php?sn=842 Nanguan pipa: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8027971895_31b14d2df3_o.jpg similarly, the Japanese biwa (though I am aware some styles hold it near vertical): http://ottomen.com/justin/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/biwa_g_main.jpg the Vietnamese tỳ bà appears to be held at a 45 degree angle... Edward Chrysogonus Yong [email protected] On 4 Oct, 2013, at 12:12 AM, Dan Winheld <[email protected]> wrote: > For the upright, almost vertical position check out the Pipa player's > technique. I have NEVER seen them held horizontally- and those are not > excessively large lutes. Having played the viola da gamba quite seriously > years ago, I can attest to the great ease of long stretches on a vertically > held instrument. It's not uncommon for a typical (usually Renaissance) lute > player to get a tenor size viol- only to discover that it's uncomfortably > small for the vertical position for long, serious practice/playing. > > Except for the larger/longer archlutes, holding comfort & security has never > been an issue for me (unlike Classical Guitar; scoliosis & tendonitis- thanks > a lot, Segovia!). A large suede guitar strap handles my small arciliuto quite > handily, and I now hold my guitars the way I hold my lutes- on the right > thigh, legs crossed either way, low seat, or sometimes RIGHT foot on a low > footstool or guitar case end, the cat, or whatever may be underfoot in > stomping distance. > > One of my new students spent weeks finding no comfortable lute position- > until the day I had her try a simple lute song (she was a singer) -she > inhaled, straightened up somewhat on her chair- channeling her "singing > awareness position"- and the lute fell right into place on her lap, > comfortable and easy to hold & play. In that vein one might treat the problem > of holding lutes as an almost Yogic sort of challenge. Also perhaps contact > Jacob Herringman- he is a licensed Alexander Technique practitioner as well > as a hell of a fine lute player, but I don't know if he has any experience > with the larger instruments. > > But suction cups on lutes? SUCTION CUPS??? > > Lord have mercy! ("Excuse me, Herr Kapsperger, is that a toilet plunger in > your hand or are you just glad to play continuo for me?") > > Dan > > On 10/3/2013 12:57 AM, Martyn Hodgson wrote: >> Dear Bill, >> Most early representations show theorboes being held quite high up >> and resting on the right thigh rather than between the legs as a modern >> 'classical' guitarist. Further, many early extant instruments have >> fixing points for a cord/strap/ribbon: a button (or similar) at the end >> of the body and one on the back of the first pegbox roughly where the >> pegs are. Incidentally I can't see evidence of a practice of sitting on >> the strap end. >> By resting the instrument on the right thigh (similar to a flamenco >> player's posture rather than a modern 'classical' guitarist- ie >> inbetween the legs) and using such a strap I find all one needs is >> something like a rough thick chamois leather placed on the thigh to >> avoid any possibility of the instrument's lower side sliding forward. >> No doubt, as has been suggested before (Bob Spencer I think), the heavy >> coats of earlier players served much the same purpose. >> It is also helpful to hold a theorbo more upright than a lute so that >> the centre of gravity is closer in - it also helps a bit in playing >> large left hand stretches. I've seen quite a few newcomers to the >> theorbo struggle mightily with trying to play a theorbo in an almost >> horizontal position as they play the lute and who soon find it much >> easier when it is held more upright. >> regards, >> Martyn >> >> From: William Samson <[email protected]> >> To: Lute List <[email protected]>; Daniel Shoskes >> <[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 22:42 >> Subject: [LUTE] Re: Thigh support for theorbo >> Interesting question. Do we know how it was done back in the day? >> Bill >> Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android >> __________________________________________________________________ >> From: Daniel Shoskes <[1][email protected]>; >> To: Lute List <[2][email protected]>; >> Subject: [LUTE] Thigh support for theorbo >> Sent: Wed, Oct 2, 2013 9:35:50 PM >> Dear Theorbistas: has anyone ever tried one of the classical guitar >> rests/cushions/supports that many guitarists now use instead of a >> footstool for their theorbo? Some have suction cups or clamps which I >> wouldn't be thrilled to use on my instrument, but some, like the >> Dynarette don't. >> I'm still struggling to find an ergonomic position and the "sitting >> on >> the strap" options just don't fit my body. >> Thanks >> Danny >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> [1][3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> -- >> References >> 1. [4]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> -- >> >> References >> >> 1. mailto:[email protected] >> 2. mailto:[email protected] >> 3. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> 4. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> > >
