One of the exercises Pat recommended to understand this principle (and to help break the habit of pinching the neck with your thumb) was playing without using your thumb at all. You can't play as well as you do with the thumb, but it does work.
Guy -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2018 4:28 AM To: Elliott Chapin Cc: Leonard Williams; [email protected] Subject: [LUTE] Re: Left hand technique That was the cornerstone of Pat’s teaching. RT > > >> On 04/25/2018 10:05 PM, Leonard Williams wrote: >> I have frequently read in various lute tutors an admonishment not >> to grip the neck between thumb and fingers, but to allow the weight of >> the arm to press the strings. I can never quite get this: the table of >> the lute is near perpendicular to the floor; how does the weight of the >> arm press the strings? It rather pulls at the strings while sliding >> off. Is there another way to explain this technical point? >> >> Thanks and regards, >> >> Leonard Williams >> >> -- >> >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> > > -- > clients.teksavvy.com/~echapin > >
