Agazzari was working in Rome and Siena, and probably the chitarra
spagnuola was more widely known there around 1600.
But Agazzari's 'Del sonare sopra il basso' is really about figured bass
and counterpoint, and from how he describes the use of the 'ornamental'
instruments it appears that the chordal style of the guitar is not within
sight. I doubt if Agazzari would have considered the alfabeto of the
guitar as a 'foundation', while the bass is not even performed on the
guitar.
I think you are interpreting what he says in too narrow a way. Amongst
the second group of instruments he has included the Lirone, Cetera and the
Pandora. These are all instruments which are capable of filling in the
harmony to some extent. There is no reason to suppose that they played
nothing but a single lin - what would the point be - and the same is true
of the chitarrina. It could be strumming away in there!
Agazzari (in Strunk) says: 'Like ornaments are those which, in a playful and
_contrapuntal_ fashion, make the harmony more agreeable and sonorous.'
The instruments with 'imperfect harmony [of the parts] such as the cetera,
lirone, chitarrina, etc.' could indeed have played more than one voice at a
time, although single line should also be considered possible. But I assume
that Agazzari would have expected that also this was done 'in a contrapuntal
fashion.' And yes, on the cetera and chitarrina that could possibly mean
strumming. It seems unlikely however that a chordal style, continuously
including all courses of the instrument, was intended
Lex
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