The system which Grove On Line uses has a lower case c' for middle c and c
for the octave below - which as far as I know is standard and known as
Helmholtz notation. It is the one which I have always used myself. I
can't imagine why Lute News chose to do something different. I must tell
the editor off!
Monica
----- Original Message -----
From: "A. J. Ness" <[email protected]>
To: "Monica Hall" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 8:33 PM
Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Arch-cittern
It's so unusual that if you ever see the notation F#F#F# - CC - BbBbBb
you'll
remember it. I remembered it, but not where I saw it.<g> Iteresting that
it's so old. The editors of Lute
News should use a common system, such as that used in New Grove. Andrew
Hartig sent me a link to Doc's article on he cittern in America. I've
often
wanted to know more about the use of the instrument in Boston.
http://www.cetrapublishing.com/artists/rossi/colonial_paper.pdf
It's bitterly cold here today, and the boiler for the apartment house is
not
working.
Regards, Arthur.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Monica Hall" <[email protected]>
To: "A. J. Ness" <[email protected]>
Cc: "Vihuelalist" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: [VIHUELA] Re: Arch-cittern
Thank-your - there do seem to be different schemes to confuse the unwary!
Monica
----- Original Message -----
From: "A. J. Ness" <[email protected]>
To: "Monica Hall" <[email protected]>; ""Vihuelalist""
<[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 2:20 PM
Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Arch-cittern
Dear Monica,
There are many schemes for designating the various octaves of musical
pitch.
See _New_HDM_, page 640, bottom of the first column.
CC indicates the C with two ledger lines below the bass clef, C the C
in the
bass clef and c as middle C, octave above that c', then c" etc.
It is a system of indicating pitch used by English organ builders and
dates
back to 1519. (See _New_Grove_, "pitch nomenclature," Example 1/2.)
Sounds like a system that
the Galpin Society would use in their publications.
Lute News hasn't reached me yet, so you've piqued my curiosity.
Arthur.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Monica Hall" <[1][email protected]>
To: "Vihuelalist" <[2][email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 6:52 AM
Subject: [VIHUELA] Arch-cittern
> Those of you who belong to the Lute Society will have received the
> latest number of Lute News. (Apologies to those of you who aren't
> members). This has a reproduction of the portrait of the actress
> Dorothy Jordan playing an arch-cittern - which looks a bit
> like an English guitar with additional diapasons. There is a
> commentary by Peter Holman.
>
>
>
> There are one or two things which I think experts on these
instruments
> might be able to clarify for me.
>
>
>
> The first of these is where he mentions the possibility that the
colour
> coded strings are harp strings and then says "this would mean that
> Jordan tuned them in a diatonic sequence rising from CC.
>
>
>
> According to both the Oxford Concise and Harvard Dictionaries
there
is
> no such thing as CC. C alone would indicate that the lowest
diapason
> was tuned to the note C below the bass clef - i.e. with 2 leger
> lines. C1 is an octave below that which seems a bit unlikely.
>
>
>
> So what is the lowest note? Is "CC" a misprint for "C".
>
>
>
> The other question is about the music on p.7. I'm assuming that
both
> parts are supposed to be played on a single instrument. If so
the
> notes on the lower stave will occasionally overlap with those on
the
> upper stave. Are we supposed to read the lower stave an octave
lower?
>
>
>
> Hope I have made myself clear.
>
>
>
> Monica
>
> --
>
>
> To get on or off this list see list information at
> [3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
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References
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