[LUTE] Re: Take II: last joints that bend backwards.
I would not say that the tip of the finger controls the tone so much as that if the tip curls in at the wrong moment it will ruin the tone. If the tip merely follows the fingers and remains flexible, the tone has a much better center. The tone does not start with tip, I think. The wrist is also very important for the tone, as well as the slight dome shape to the inside of the palm. The two most common problems that I see are that the wrist is locked--I think it is almost impossible to draw the sound out in this case. Then there is the last minute curling of the finger tips, affactionately known as the claw. The next step (aka the next level) is now becoming an interesting pedagogical device. Teachers find that it is a good way to encourage people, as opposed to to an approach based on square one or fundamentals. A lot of teachers are using it; a lot are discussing it. Teachers use it as a way of safely critiquing other teacher's work indirectly a well. The idea of square one is frumpy, old fashioned and unattractive. The question it raises is whether the method effectively avoids addressing the core skills, jury is out on that one. To put a number on it, I have never seen someone who worked reasonably hard fail to acquire the core skill set in two to three years. Good enough to start professional work. Every morning I wake up on square one, no question; I don't know if I'm walking or treading water. I try not to think about the third option. Perhaps there is another way. dt At 08:50 PM 7/16/2008, you wrote: On Jul 16, 2008, at 9:15 PM, Herbert Ward wrote: Sorry for not being clear. I meant to ask about right-hand technique. Is the extra flexibility of significant help in the right hand? Dear Herbert, I would say yes, definitely. I had a couple of sessions with Richard Stone in May and June, and we talked about this quite a bit. I'm trying to make the changeover from 35 years of renaissance lute thumb- under, to some form of Baroque lute thumb out, or at least thumb- middle. It's a difficult thing to jump into. One of the points that Richard bought out as being the next step in my right-hand progress, was to tell me to play with a lot of flexibility in my right hand fingertips. You can also get some advice on this subject, from Ronn MacFarlane's web site: http://www.ronnmcfarlane.com/lute/btb/BTB_11_Tone_Control.pdf Ronn sees that last joint on your right hand as your tone Control. Best wishes David R [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Crawford Young LSA Concert Program
Dear Guy, By now you will have received a copy of the programme from Daniel Shoskes. It looks an interesting collection of pieces. If you can remember, please could you give some indication as to how these pieces were performed? I see that there were two singers, a vielle (=hurdy-gurdy?), and Crawford Young on lute. Did the lute take a single line out of three voices, and if so, which one? Any information on their line-up for individual pieces would be appreciated. Best wishes, Stewart McCoy. -Original Message- From: Guy Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 16 July 2008 05:12 To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: [LUTE] Crawford Young LSA Concert Program Did anyone manage to hang on to the program from Crawford Young's concert at LSA? Mine seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. If so, could you please send me the list of pieces on the program. Thanks, Guy To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Crawford Young LSA Concert Program
He played primarily a single line, although he occasionally used a strum or his middle finger to add an extra note or two for additional color. IIRC, Crawford primarily took the contratenor line, but that's based mainly on what I got from his class. BTW, it was two voices and/or vielle, so it was mostly three part music. Eve traded off singing and playing vielle (not a hurdy-gurdy, it's a bowed instrument something like a viola in general size, shape, and pitch). I don't recall who played on which pieces. Someone did make a video of the concert, but I don't recall who and I don't know if it's available. Best thing might be to contact Crawford. FWIW, I made a recording (with Crawford's permission) of the entire concert on my Zoom H2. However, it's in the form of two huge .wav files right now. When I get some time, I'm going to break it down into tracks and convert them to MP3, which will be a bit more manageable. Guy - Original Message - From: Stewart McCoy [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Lute Net lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 8:44 AM Subject: [LUTE] Crawford Young LSA Concert Program Dear Guy, By now you will have received a copy of the programme from Daniel Shoskes. It looks an interesting collection of pieces. If you can remember, please could you give some indication as to how these pieces were performed? I see that there were two singers, a vielle (=hurdy-gurdy?), and Crawford Young on lute. Did the lute take a single line out of three voices, and if so, which one? Any information on their line-up for individual pieces would be appreciated. Best wishes, Stewart McCoy. -Original Message- From: Guy Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 16 July 2008 05:12 To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: [LUTE] Crawford Young LSA Concert Program Did anyone manage to hang on to the program from Crawford Young's concert at LSA? Mine seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. If so, could you please send me the list of pieces on the program. Thanks, Guy To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Take II: last joints that bend backwards.
On Jul 17, 2008, at 10:25 AM, David Tayler wrote: The next step (aka the next level) is now becoming an interesting pedagogical device. Teachers find that it is a good way to encourage people, as opposed to to an approach based on square one or fundamentals. A lot of teachers are using it; a lot are discussing it. Teachers use it as a way of safely critiquing other teacher's work indirectly a well. The idea of square one is frumpy, old fashioned and unattractive. I don't think the next step is necessary the next level. I've got plenty to do still on the level I'm on now! Anyhow, I didn't get that phrase next step from any teacher. I just always think of it that way in relation to my own playing. I'm not much of a lesson taker, or a seminar goer: generally I prefer to work intuitively by myself, until I think it might be beneficial to ask one of the heavy hitters for advice. As for the fundamentals: I go back to them all the time. I begin each practice session at square one. with warm-up exercises that are generally at the square one level. The question it raises is whether the method effectively avoids addressing the core skills, jury is out on that one. Well, how many lutenists live near enough a good lute teacher to take regular lessons? Not many, right? Many, perhaps most, have to be content with whatever they can get at the various seminar workshop weeks. I imagine the lessons offered at the seminars are on various skill levels, but even so it's only for a few days at a time. Very few luters take lessons once a week on a regular basis. Mostly we have to pick up what we can, wherever we can find it, and what we get may or may not include solid grounding in the basics. That's nobody's fault in particular: it's just the way it is. David R [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Take II: last joints that bend backwards.
I will offer my opinion on the right hand. I play a Lute with a doubled first course. Having the ability to collapse the first joint of the digits on the right hand is crucial in getting a proper sound out of the instrument strung in this manner. VW - Original Message - From: David Rastall [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Herbert Ward [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11:50 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: Take II: last joints that bend backwards. On Jul 16, 2008, at 9:15 PM, Herbert Ward wrote: Sorry for not being clear. I meant to ask about right-hand technique. Is the extra flexibility of significant help in the right hand? Dear Herbert, I would say yes, definitely. I had a couple of sessions with Richard Stone in May and June, and we talked about this quite a bit. I'm trying to make the changeover from 35 years of renaissance lute thumb- under, to some form of Baroque lute thumb out, or at least thumb- middle. It's a difficult thing to jump into. One of the points that Richard bought out as being the next step in my right-hand progress, was to tell me to play with a lot of flexibility in my right hand fingertips. You can also get some advice on this subject, from Ronn MacFarlane's web site: http://www.ronnmcfarlane.com/lute/btb/BTB_11_Tone_Control.pdf Ronn sees that last joint on your right hand as your tone Control. Best wishes David R [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.5.0/1555 - Release Date: 7/16/2008 6:43 AM
[LUTE] Worth a Listen
Dear Luters, Someone passed this along to me, and I think it's well worth a listen. Of course, it has nothing to do with lute playing...or does it?! http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html David R [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Try Again
Let me try that again: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html D [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
