Since there appear to be lute players who use nails - a club I haven't
joined and now I'm curious - I wonder if there are there people who
use all gut and nails.
Could they tell us their experience on how it affects the the life of
the strings? Do they [the strings] wear excessively? Do the thinner
ones need more frequent changing than the thicker gut strings? After
they wear a bit and perhaps fray, is the intonation affected? If so,
how?
Wait, I thought of another. How about you orpharion and bandora
players - do you use nails?
Sean
ps. we seem to be on a topic of nails (tho I can readily see the
connection to the Bream thread) so forgive me for re-subjecting this
offshoot of the thread. If it helps feel free to respond to Bruno's
post as well under it.
On Dec 10, 2013, at 5:29 PM, Bruno Correia wrote:
It may sound good to you, but not for most of the lutenists out
there.
Ask Hoppy about this issue? Ok, you don't need to ask him, after all
you don't ride a horse to the gig... Hey, I'd like to do that, the
traffic has been so bad nowadays.
The most frequent word to describe the lute's sound is sweetness! How
can you have achieve it with nails? Double strings also require that
both strings be pressed at once and not one after the other. The lute
is after all a sweet instrument (specially with gut). Even in
classical
guitar tutors (19th-20th century) the issue of nails was still
rolling
on. Sor hated it and only tolerated Aguado because of his great
skill.
That's why Tarrega and Pujol also avoided it (even if it was a
requirement due to the high tension of the Torres guitar).
Going back: The sources were just saying that many people were
careless
about their sound production. In order to avoid it, what about
cutting
your nails once and a while, washing your hands (daily if you can)?
2013/12/10 Mayes, Joseph <[1]ma...@rowan.edu>
I play the lute, archlute and vihuela with nails for the same
reason
that I
play the classical guitar with nails: because it sounds better!
Of course, by that I mean it sounds better to me. Nails give the
attack a
precision that flesh does not. It also comes closer, IMHO to the
sound
usually described in historical sources as desirable on lute -
silvery,
tinkling, etc.
Many sources tell us not to use nails - which they wouldn't have
bothered to
do if people were not doing it that way.
I don't play with flesh, I don't ride my horse to the gig, and I
don't
attend any bear-bating.
My $.02
Joseph mayes
--
References
1. mailto:ma...@rowan.edu
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