I saw that video yesterday as well, and Joan Baez stated herself that
it wasn't a very good song, but the subject matter was relevant -
pointed commetary about a very nasty man. She seemed to be wearing
plastic fingerpicks and was capoed up to play in G position but sound
in the key of C. I think it was a great deal of unnecessary effort to
avoid an awkward chord but I completely understand the compromises we
must make at times.
It's an interesting observation that many of my newbie guitar students
hold their right hands in a very natural thumb-under position, which I
don't discourage unless they wish to gravitate toward classical rep. I
am firm in the belief that historical lute players held their hands in
a comfortable natural position and did not stress themselves about
potential criticism from snarky people cloaked behind curtains and
lurking in the shrubberies to point out that they are doing it wrong.
In fact, the iconography bears out this assumption.
We still suffer today from the disagreements of the 1970s when some
classical guitarists gravitated towards playing the lute and identified
themselves as unique by snarking at other classical guitarists who
didn't wish to change their hand position. These individuals are still
around and the matter hangs in the air like a stale fart. Players from
circa 1500 did not have this problem. I'm not a classical guitarist
and I don't have this problem.
RA
__________________________________________________________________
From: [email protected]
<[email protected]> on behalf of Leonard Williams
<[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, August 1, 2019 2:45 PM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: [LUTE] RH folk style
I recently viewed a video of Joan Baez on guitar. Finger picks, but
with a slightly modified thumb-in and pinky firmly anchored on the
soundboard. (Good political protest song, BTW.)
Leonard Williams
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