Hi, all. I somewhat agree with Gilbert on matters of "proper" technique, but as someone who is self-taught, I know that cutting corners can lead to bad habits that are hard to unlearn and tend to keep one from moving above certain technical plateaus. That said, he's also right that the taboo of using the left thumb in "classical" guitar technique is fairly recent (only a hundred years or so!) As to Ron's observation re: Rev. Gary Davis, it was also good enough for J. K. Mertz who used it often, and I'm sure many others of his generation. It might have had something with the transition from the Viennese to the Spanish school of guitar-making, which involved, among other things, a much wider finger board. However, I'm no expert on these things. so don't want to get in too deep. Best to all, and keep playing. Chris.
On Thu, Apr 26, 2018 at 4:27 PM, Ron Andrico <[1][email protected]> wrote: On guitar, the thumb typically plays the F-natural and F-sharp (first and second frets), as well as bass notes up the neck when necessary. I would say that in lute music such bass notes are mostly more a function of moving polyphonic lines rather than part of a chord shape. Sean, as to your speculation that the sixth course may have tuned down a step and noted at the second fret when necessary, I doubt it. It is much less of pain to tune the course down and up again as necessary than to have to constantly fret what could easily be an open course. ____________________________________________________________ ______ From: [2][email protected] <[3][email protected]> on behalf of anotherdamn6c <[4][email protected]> Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2018 7:33 PM To: lute Subject: [LUTE] Re: Left thumb on the sixth. Thanks, Jean-Marie and Ron. I'll check those images when I get home. I'm just trying to figure out which chords or notes that facilitates. Sean On Thu, Apr 26, 2018, 12:18 PM Jean-Marie Poirier <[1][5][email protected]> wrote: Have a look there : [1][2][6]http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html Best, Jean-Marie Le 26 avr. 2018 à 20:47, Ron Andrico <[2][3][7][email protected]> a à ©crit : Using the thumb to fret the sixth course was absolutely an element of 16th century lute playing, based on iconography and a few mentions in historical sources that escape me at the moment. The 20th-21st century revivalist prejudice against this technique is and has been advanced by lutenists who start out as classical guitarists. Full stop. I seldom use the technique on the lute, mostly because the neck of my 72cm six-course is a bit clubby. But I do use the technique on guitar. It was good enough for Reverend Gary Davis, and it's good enough for me. RA ____________________________________________________________ ______ From: [3][4][8][email protected] <[4][5][9][email protected]> on behalf of anotherdamn6c <[5][6][10][email protected]> Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2018 5:41 PM To: lute Subject: [LUTE] Left thumb on the sixth. Hi all, I've always wondered: under what circumstances was the thumb around the neck to stop the 6th course thought to be an advantage? We see its use sporadically in the 16th century in occasional iconography but I gather it is not (and was not) recommended. Personally I can't do it and still have any facility on other courses--and it's painful. But I see it in contemporary guitar playing so it seems to work for some. Shot in the dark: Were they tuning the 6th course down a step and this trick gave them the 6th at nominal pitch? Sean -- To get on or off this list see list information at [1][6][7][11]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/ index.html [2]Lute Mail list technical information [7][8][12]www.cs.dartmouth.edu Frequently Asked Technical Questions about the lute mail list. getting on and off the list; How do I get on the lute mail list? How do I get off the lute mail list? -- References 1. [8][9][13]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 2. [9][10][14]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/ index.html -- References 1. [11][15]http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 2. mailto:[12][16][email protected] 3. mailto:[13][17][email protected] 4. mailto:[14][18][email protected] 5. mailto:[15][19][email protected] 6. [16][20]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 7. [17][21]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 8. [18][22]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 9. [19][23]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. [1]mailto:[24][email protected] 2. [2][25]http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 3. [3]mailto:[26][email protected] 4. [4]mailto:[27][email protected] 5. [5]mailto:[28][email protected] 6. [6]mailto:[29][email protected] 7. [7][30]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 8. [8][31]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 9. [9][32]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 10. [10][33]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 11. [11][34]http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 12. [12]mailto:[35][email protected] 13. [13]mailto:[36][email protected] 14. [14]mailto:[37][email protected] 15. [15]mailto:[38][email protected] 16. [16][39]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 17. [17][40]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 18. [18][41]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 19. [19][42]http://www.cs.dartmouth. edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. mailto:[43][email protected] 2. [44]http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 3. mailto:[45][email protected] 4. mailto:[46][email protected] 5. mailto:[47][email protected] 6. mailto:[48][email protected] 7. [49]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 8. [50]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 9. [51]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 10. [52]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 11. [53]http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 12. mailto:[54][email protected] 13. mailto:[55][email protected] 14. mailto:[56][email protected] 15. mailto:[57][email protected] 16. [58]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 17. [59]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 18. [60]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 19. [61]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. mailto:[email protected] 2. mailto:[email protected] 3. mailto:[email protected] 4. mailto:[email protected] 5. mailto:[email protected] 6. http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 7. mailto:[email protected] 8. mailto:[email protected] 9. mailto:[email protected] 10. mailto:[email protected] 11. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 12. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 13. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 14. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 15. http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 16. mailto:[email protected] 17. mailto:[email protected] 18. mailto:[email protected] 19. mailto:[email protected] 20. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 21. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 22. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 23. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 24. mailto:[email protected] 25. http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 26. mailto:[email protected] 27. mailto:[email protected] 28. mailto:[email protected] 29. mailto:[email protected] 30. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 31. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 32. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 33. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 34. http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 35. mailto:[email protected] 36. mailto:[email protected] 37. mailto:[email protected] 38. mailto:[email protected] 39. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 40. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 41. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 42. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 43. mailto:[email protected] 44. http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 45. mailto:[email protected] 46. mailto:[email protected] 47. mailto:[email protected] 48. mailto:[email protected] 49. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 50. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 51. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 52. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 53. http://le.luth.free.fr/pouce/index.html 54. mailto:[email protected] 55. mailto:[email protected] 56. mailto:[email protected] 57. mailto:[email protected] 58. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 59. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/ 60. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 61. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
