Another aspect of Pat's teaching was keeping your shoulder muscles as relaxed as possible, so that the upper left arm is basically hanging vertically (or close to it). To the extent that you are supporting the weight of your upper arm with your muscles, it reduces how much weight comes to bear on the fingerboard.
Guy -----Original Message----- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Caroline Usher Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2018 10:32 AM To: lutenet (lute@cs.dartmouth.edu) Subject: [LUTE] Re: Left hand technique Leonard, If you rotate the lute along the axis of the strings so that the top edge of the soundboard is somewhat closer to your body, the effect is to bring the fingerboard a little closer to horizontal. That will help. I remember years ago having a long-distance phone conversation with Pat about this. I told him that I simply couldn't play chords without using some pressure from my thumb. Single notes, ok, but not chords. He asked me a bunch of questions about how I was holding the lute, how I was doing it, etc. Nothing stood out as the answer to the problem. Finally he said, "You know, I have to remind myself that my arm probably weighs 3 times as much as yours." :) This was not the only time I got instruction from a male teacher that presumed having a body like theirs, but it was the only time that the teacher caught himself in the act. And yes, I know that female teachers also can make unfounded assumptions about their students' experience. In our world there are so many more male teachers. . . . Caroline Caroline Usher Admin. Coordinator / Biology Dept. 613-8155 / fax 660-7293 Box 90338 Beauty is the enemy of expression. Christian Tetzlaff, violinist -----Original Message----- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu <lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu> On Behalf Of guy_and_liz Smith Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2018 12:22 PM To: r.turov...@gmail.com; Elliott Chapin <echa...@teksavvy.com> Cc: Leonard Williams <arc...@verizon.net>; lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: [LUTE] Re: Left hand technique 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: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of r.turov...@gmail.com Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2018 4:28 AM To: Elliott Chapin Cc: Leonard Williams; lute@cs.dartmouth.edu 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 >> https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.proofpoint.com%2Fv2%2Furl%3Fu%3Dhttp-3A__www.cs.dartmouth.edu_-7Ewbc_lute-2Dadmin_index.html%26d%3DDwIDaQ%26c%3DimBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc%26r%3DUUZLabKEylgnLyY6PCFo0A%26m%3DYT_twiHfv17FC3Q-C4f6xUslUoHIBIcQI1yfFhEcCsI%26s%3D2c6n_vU_2KpZjMf9511UxBextAKI_K9V9pTHlhIK_ok%26e&data=02%7C01%7C%7C205f7cc968254385549308d6039e45f8%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636700375637874617&sdata=WcoaZ5l00ytk%2BRu88B64WssfKEbaSzBz1LahKQIUYuw%3D&reserved=0= >> > > -- > clients.teksavvy.com/~echapin > >
