@@RobMacKillop1 Sounds great. I've just hired my first lute: 11crs primarily to play the music from Balcarres. Very good to know it's all achievable without string changes. Pan5 and Wemyss too. It was your videos/website that first turned me onto this wonderful repertoire so thanks very much for that!
As soon as I heard the opening notes of Montrose's tune, it felt great and right, in such a way as this lute in conventional tuning did not do. It sparkled, in fact. For many years, on my 12 string early 19th century theorbo-guitar (style De la Planque) I used a tuning of F-A-C-g-c-e over the playable 6 strings, but, eventually, I found that I preferred this tuning - Bb-G-C-f-c-e The reason for the change was that the first tuning, tho' very pleasant and playable, was too crimpt of a range to offer what I feel is a necessary contrast between the 6th and 1st strings, whilst preserving the kind of open-air Irish Gaelick sound of my former tuning, in fact, even enhancing that sylvan quality. As I've gotten older, one thing that strikes me about most younger players (myself included in that, looking retrospectively) is that they go to enormous lengths to conquer technical aspects, so as to be impressive, whilst ignoring huge areas of the musicality of their art, and one area is the area of tuning. As I got into my early 40s, I really reacht the point where I considered I, and other people, as well, ought stop playing in standard tuning, and it's variants, and strike out for their own standards, this to provide more variety. Nowadays, many years after having abandoned standard tuning, I find I still enjoy listening to others on it, but, that I loathe playing on it rather extremely, and won't. I find the standard tuning of mostly 4ths too taught, crampt, and urban of feel, and though sublimely flexible and handy, utterly lacking in charm, and charm, if anything is important, has got to be the preeminent thing in a pluckt sound. I've come to believe that, whatever tuning you use, it ought sound fetching just stroking across the open strings, if for no other reason than this tuning is going to constantly resound in your playing, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about that. Thank you for the wonderful video. The chat, the selection, the instrument, your choice to present yourself in a dark intimate light, and, of course, these fine obscure gems, was all really intruiging, chamring, and heartwarming. I've always felt you are a Dark Ages' Man who, having traveling through the 17th century, is still very fond of that, and, I not,e you have found a way to use new technology to get yourself back there, and to take us along, as well. that's great!
Thank you Rob for your interesting and instructive videos! Are single strings a historical feature of the Baroque lute or is it rather a preference by modern performers?
It's a preference for a few modern performers. There were some instruments with single courses, but not 11c or 13c lutes. But keep in mind that modern lutes often tend to be heavier than originals, and modern strings are COMPLETELY different from gut strings. So, any modern performer who criticises single strings on a baroque lute is on shaky ground, unless they have a very light lute, completely strung in gut. But I am less concerned with the physical characteristics as the expression. Get that right, and you can play it on anything.
I tried this tuning on my 7 course renaissance lute (in 440 pitch) by lowering the first course by a third and the second by a tone and it works! Better to have a light touch on the first, though. But the manuscripts seems to be of hard to find type. Any editor? Thanks for the wonderful world you open to us year after year, Sir.
