This is really an impossible question short of writing a book on the
subject.
However - received wisdom I think is that the vihuela could originally be
played with a bow, a plectrum or finger style - to whit
vihuela de arco
vihuela de penola
vihuela de mano.
However "guitars" or instruments called "guitarra" seem to have existed
alongside the vihuela and it is not altogether clear whether this was simply
a vihuela with fewer strings or derived from a different prototype.
Be that as it may, the present day classical guitar is probably not a direct
descendent of the vihuela - because in between you get my good friend "the
baroque guitar" which had only five courses and a re-entrant tuning and was
all the rage in the 17th and early 18th century.
About the middle of the 18th century someone had the bright idea of putting
a sixth course on it - or back on it ...and the rest... as they say ...is
history.
Hope that's helpful and I don't spark off a whole correspndence from people
who disagree with my "History of the guitar in a nutshell".
Monica
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joshua Horn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 11:11 AM
Subject: [VIHUELA] Lineage of early Guitars
Guys,
I have read various sources on the web about the relation of the
Vihuela to other stringed instruments. I am looking for information on
the lineage of the modern Acoustic Guitars.
I read on one site that the Vihuela was once a bowed instrument, is the
Classical and Flamenco Guitars you see today direct relatives of the
Vihuela, or are there other instruments that influenced them first?
Josh
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