Baroque Lute

[Rob MacKillop]

My friend, Bill Samson, made this lute back in 1984, but hasn't played it for a long time. I bought it from him on Thursday, then strung it largely in (sheep) gut strings. On the video I play a French piece of around 1650, found in a manuscript in Berlin. It's not a faultless performance (they never are) but worth hearing if you have an interest in these things.

You will see it has 11 courses of strings - a course could be single (as in the first two treble courses) strings on the right side of the first picture, or double. The doubles are either unison or octave (fat string with a thin neighbour). You hit the doubles as if they are one note, and the thin octave neighbour gives definition to the low note. Hope that makes sense, but it doesn't have to. Hope you enjoy hearing this music from mid 17th-century.

​

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks Rob. Interesting as usual and a fin looking instrument. I enjoyed the piece too and was especially interested in the way you use the back stroke of your nails. I guess that has a proper name.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Strumming

Thanks, Pete.

 

[Pete Askew]

I just knew it would be something complex and technical!

 

[Douglas McMann]

Nice one Rob...are the strings closest to you just "drones"...????

 

[Brian Moore]

Bravo Sir,...Bravo! I had a similar question about this top strings: I was wondering at first how you get you left hand fingers up high enough to fret them,...then I noticed they are strung beyond the top edge of the fretboard. Anyway,...delightful, Rob!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Gentlemen...

Those "top" strings are the bottom strings They are the bass notes. The left hand just plays six pairs of strings, like a guitarist would play six single strings. Thereafter, the right-hand thumb plays the remaining 5 pairs of bass strings as open - somewhat like a harp. Those bass strings are tuned in a scale. From the lowest note (nearest my chin) C D E F G then the six fingered strings are tuned to a D minor chord: A D F A D F. Easy peasy! I hope that makes sense?

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Good pics and video Rob I like the carved crown on the chair. A long way from the day's of a punk band to playing close to what I presume is Medieval music, or maybe not ?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks, Julian. Baroque music is further away from medieval music than we are from baroque music. The lute has been in Britain since at least the 13th century, and has been played here every century since then, though it's Golden Years were from circa 1530 - 1730. It changed shape a bit, over the years, and went through a number of tunings, musical styles, and techniques.
And, yes, I've been on a wide-ranging musical journey myself. To me there is just music, without division.

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Thanks, Julian. Baroque music is further away from medieval music than we are from baroque music. The lute has been in Britain since at least the 13th century, and has been played here every century since then, though it's Golden Years were from circa 1530 - 1730. It changed shape a bit, over the years, and went through a number of tunings, musical styles, and techniques.
And, yes, I've been on a wide-ranging musical journey myself. To me there is just music, without division.

I am now more educated . ''Without Division'' I like that. To me it is a pleasant noise

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Not always pleasant, I'll wager Many composers go out of the way to make us feel uncomfortable, and for often good reasons. Imagine trying to "paint" in sound the death camps of WW2. A pretty tune or pleasant noise ain't gonna do it.

The 20th century was the most experimental so far. Imagine seeing light fall upon a chair in a certain way that inspires you to pick up your camera or paint brush. What would you do in the same situation if you were a composer?

What is the aural equivalent of Rothko's abstracts? Of Pollocks explosions? Of existential angst?

Composers have wrestled with all these ideas, or perhaps fashions. One big difference is how they are experienced by the public. A picture (a painting or a photograph) in a gallery can be looked at for a few moments (most of us rarely stay longer). But a piece of music my last as much as half an hour. We might find it deeply uncomfortable, especially if we are sitting in a concert hall, all squashed together, scared to leave as you would have to get a whole row of people to let you through, etc. Music takes time. An image can pierce you in a second.

All very interesting.

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Not always pleasant, I'll wager Many composers go out of the way to make us feel uncomfortable, and for often good reasons. Imagine trying to "paint" in sound the death camps of WW2. A pretty tune or pleasant noise ain't gonna do it.

The 20th century was the most experimental so far. Imagine seeing light fall upon a chair in a certain way that inspires you to pick up your camera or paint brush. What would you do in the same situation if you were a composer?

What is the aural equivalent of Rothko's abstracts? Of Pollocks explosions? Of existential angst?

Composers have wrestled with all these ideas, or perhaps fashions. One big difference is how they are experienced by the public. A picture (a painting or a photograph) in a gallery can be looked at for a few moments (most of us rarely stay longer). But a piece of music my last as much as half an hour. We might find it deeply uncomfortable, especially if we are sitting in a concert hall, all squashed together, scared to leave as you would have to get a whole row of people to let you through, etc. Music takes time. An image can pierce you in a second.

All very interesting.

Agree fully Rob, i will always explain to others how be it painting or whatever it is a form of communication as voice , it is simply that with different option and vocabulary to put across what you wish to say about something. You are correct in saying from what I read that learning something some depth about that language allows us more access by interpretation to the artists thoughts and ideas, whatever the art maybe. The idea that a person says I like what I like and dismisses everything else is to miss out on what you explain, in simple terms I may not like/ enjoy looking at a painting because as you say it is uncomfortable at times as music can be. Yes some of the photographic images that come from war are not enjoyable viewing but wow.
Some painters can manage to get across a beauty and a struggle, one for me Edvard Much , not his iconic screen series, which are very different from his other work, but much of his lesser known work. The exhibitions of his work seen in the flesh are so very powerful and a beauty which comes for myself purely from a truth I see , Yet in many ways not very pleasant.
The time element is interesting also, as we often need time and some of the best films music and images I have seen, take time to to switch our state from what it is, into the scenario of what is being listened too or heard. Time can also plays a large roll in photography with the split second the moment, Cartoons are the photography of the painting, where as painters can take and do take months and often years to do a painting, therefore somewhere if you can see it, that time exists within the work, it cannot other than do so. I've often looked at a painting for an hour or two, it is maybe that captured time is involved within that time spent viewing.

I did play instruments as a child and at school, loved it and practised for hours at a time, Only though really learning simple sheet music, but managed later to pick up most wind instruments to play an ad hock rhythm , so yes can relate to a lot of what you are saying, yet at the time that side of the interpretation was never explained when being taught . Maybe you only teach the technical first off I don't know? I stopped , as the teacher at school for him music was almost purely marching band , also being the lead trumpeter of the school band, the only lead as the shortage of music pupils, I got far to stressed as I'd let the band down on public performances, it became so un-enjoyable I stopped, to play for my own amusement. Probably like many people do, which is ok.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Don't get me started on school music tuition!

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Don't get me started on school music tuition!

What about school music tuition ?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Etc...

 

[Pete Askew]

You found it rewarding then!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Pardon? Didn't catch that , do tell