**** Welcome to the "LuteBot Quarterly" ****

- the free electronic lute journal -

*** #2, Spring 1998 ****
*** by Federico Marincola ***
<lute@marincola.com>

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*** Table of contents ***
This issue of the "LuteBot Quarterly" is devoted to Adrian Le Roy's
"A Briefe and easye instruction" (1568)
Part I -- Le Roy's "A Briefe and easye instruction"
I.1 -- Introduction (by F. Marincola)
I.2 -- A synopsis of "A Briefe and easye instru[c]tion"
(by Ian Harwood)
I.3 -- About Ian Harwood
I.4 -- About the Lute Society
Part II -- About Federico Marincola

--------------------------------------------------
Part I -- LE ROY'S "A BRIEFE AND EASYE INSTRUCTION"

I.1 -- Introduction (by Federico Marincola)
The book "A Briefe and easye instru[c]tion to learne the tableture
to conducte and dispose thy hande unto the lute, englished by
J. Alford Londenor" was published in London in 1568. It is an English
translation of Adrian Le Roy's "Tres breves et tres familiere instruction"
- now lost. The book contains instructions on how to play the lute, with
music examples, followed by a collection of dances and fantasias.
These rules were reprinted (with minimal changes) as the second part
of "A Briefe and Plaine Instruction" (1574), and were again translated,
but without acknowledgment, by William Barley in "A New Booke of Tabliture"
(1596).
The following synopsis is based on an handout distributed during a
lecture given by Ian Harwood at the Lute Society Summer School in 1977
(Cheltenham, UK). Here (with his kind permission) I reproduce Ian's text,
though I have had to shorten some music examples.
Ian's original synopsis was made with great care, so any mistakes are my
own.

I.2 -- A synopsis of "A Briefe and easye instru[c]tion to learne the
tableture / to conducte and dispose thy hande unto the lute / englished by
J. Alford Londenor"- London, 1568 (by Ian Harwood)
1. Lute commonly said to be strung with six strings, although really
eleven, as all doubled except treble string, which is single.
2. The strings are shown in tablature by five lines, with treble at top.
Sixth not noted, 'as easily judged the last'. (Six-line tab soon became
commonest).
_____________________ Treble (1)
_____________________ Small Mean (2)
_____________________ Great Mean (3)
_____________________ Countertenor (4)
_____________________ Tenor (5)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Bass (6)
3. Strings alone insufficient for 'many and diverse sounds', so frets tied
round neck as in the figure [the front page of the book shows the picture
of a lute]. Fret spacings and thicknesses not mentioned here: 'these things
shall be declared another time'.
4. Eight frets most usual, lettered b.c.d.e.f.g.h.i., called stops,
as spaces between frets stopped with L.H. French tab. uses letters;
Italians and others use ciphers and other characters.
5. First fret marked b., second c., and so on until eighth and last
marked i.
6. Where letter "a" is found, string played open, with RH, not
stopping with LH.
|_a_____________
|
|_a_a___________
|
|______a_a______
|
|___a_a_________
|
|_______a_______
|
|_a_____________
7. Letters after "i" have no frets, but strings stopped just the same.
|_n_m_k_m______
|
|_k_k_k_k______
|
|_____l________
|
|_m_k_m_l______
|
|_______m______
|
|_k____________
Having described strings, letters, frets and stops, proceed to RH fingering.
8. Letters and stops apply only to LH, but strings must be struck with RH
thumb and fingers. Strike as many strings as there are letters one above
another in the same stop, from one to six, as every letter makes a part.
Two letters at least make a chord.
|____|____|_a__|_c__|__f__|__e__||
| | | | | | ||
|____|_c__|_a__|_c__|__c__|__f__||
| | | | | | ||
|__c_|_d__|_c__|_d__|__d__|__f__||
| | | | | | ||
|____|____|____|_e__|__e__|__c__||
| | | | | | ||
|____|____|____|____|_____|__c__||
| | | | | | ||
|____|____|____|____|__c__|__a__||
9. When one letter only to be stopped, on whatever string, strike it
downward with thumb, unless there be a dot under the letter, meaning
strike upward with whatever finger best suit, not necessarily the
forefinger.
|__________________________________a_c_e_f_h_k_l__|
| . . . |
|___________________________a_c_d_________________|
| . . |
|_____________________a_c_d_______________________|
| . |
|________________a_c______________________________|
| . |
|_________a_c_e___________________________________|
| . . |
|__a_c_e__________________________________________|
.
10. When one, two or three letters have a dot underneath, strike upwards
with as many fingers as letters, without the thumb, even though only
one letter has a dot.
|__a___|__a___|__a___|__a___|______|__a___||
| | | | | | ||
|__c___|______|__a___|__c___|__a___|__a___||
| . | | | | | ||
|______|__d___|__c___|__d___|__c___|__b___||
| | . | . | . | | . ||
|______|______|______|______|__c___|______||
| | | | | . | ||
|______|______|______|______|______|______||
| | | | | | ||
|______|______|______|______|______|______||
11. When two, three or many letters have no dot underneath, then 'gripe
or draw' appropriate strings with thumb and fingers together. When six
parts shown, as in Rule 8, all six strings must be sounded, with only four
fingers including the thumb, as RH little finger supports hand on belly
of the lute.
12. Fingers named: Thumb, first, second, third, little finger.
13. Strike downwards = strike with thumb.
Strike upwards or lift = strike with fingers when letters have dots under.
Gripe = Strike with thumb and fingers together, thumb downwards and fingers
upwards.
14. To play six-part chords:
Strike sixth and fifth strings downwards with thumb;
Strike third and fourth strings upwards with first finger;
Strike second string upwards with second finger;
Strike first string upwards with third finger.
|__a___|__f___|__e___|__c___|__h___||
| | | | | ||
|__a___|__c___|__f___|__c___|__f___||
| | | | | ||
|__c___|__d___|__f___|__d___|__f___||
| | | | | ||
|__c___|__e___|__c___|__e___|__g___||
| | | | | ||
|__c___|__e___|__c___|__c___|__h___||
| | | | | ||
|__a___|__c___|__a___|__c___|__a___||
15. To play five-part chords:
Strike sixth and fifth strings, or fifth and fourth strings, downwards
with thumb;
Strike other three strings with other three fingers, upwards.
This applies if lowest two parts are on adjacent strings. If not:
Strike sixth string downwards with thumb;
Strike third and fourth strings upwards with first finger;
Strike remaining two strings with remaining two fingers.
|_____|__a__|__c__|__f__|__e__|__h__|__f__|__e__|__c__|__a__||
| | | | | | | | | | ||
|__a__|__c__|__c__|__c__|__f__|__f__|__f__|__f__|__e__|__a__||
| | | | | | | | | | ||
|__c__|__d__|__d__|__d__|__f__|__f__|__h__|__f__|__f__|__c__||
| | | | | | | | | | ||
|__c__|__c__|__e__|__e__|__c__|__g__|__h__|__c__|__e__|__c__||
| | | | | | | | | | ||
|__c__|__a__|_____|_____|_____|__h__|__a__|_____|__c__|_____||
| | | | | | | | | | ||
|__a__|_____|__c__|__c__|__a__|_____|_____|__a__|_____|__a__||
16. To play four-part chords:
Thumb strikes lowest note downwards;
Each finger strikes upwards.
| |\ | |\ | |\
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

|__a____|__a___c___|__e____|__e___f____f____|
| | | | |
|__a____|__c___d___|__f____|__f___f____f____|
| | | | |
|__c____|__d___d___|__f____|__f___h____h____| etc...
| | | | |
|__c____|______a___|__c____|__c_____________|
| | | | |
|_______|__a_______|_______|______a____a____|
| | | | |
|_______|__________|_______|________________|
"The .x. Commaundementes"
17. To play three-part chords:
Strike the bass part downwards with thumb;
Strike remaining two parts with first and second fingers upwards.
| |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
| | | |\ |\ |\
| | | | |\ |
| | | | | |

|__a____|__a___a____|__a___a____________|________________|
| | | | |
|__a____|__b___a____|__b___b____a_______|__a__________d__|
| | | . | |
|_______|__d___c____|__d________b___d___|_____________f__| etc...
| | | | . |
|__c____|___________|_______________e___|__c___e___f_____|
| | | | |
|_______|___________|___________________|________________|
| | | | |
|_______|___________|___________________|________________|
"Je ne veux plus a mon mal consentir"
18. To play two-part chords:
Strike the bass part downwards with the thumb;
Strike the other part upwards with the first, or other, finger.
|\ |\ |\
|\ | |
| | |
| | |
|__a_______________|__a_______|__a_______|
| | | |
|__________________|__________|__________|
| | | |
|______________a___|__c___d___|__d___c___| etc...
| . | | |
|__c___b___c_______|__________|__________|
| . | | |
|__________________|__________|__________|
| | | |
|__________________|__________|__________|
Having explained RH fingering, proceed to LH, keeping same finger names.
19. How to stop five or six strings with only four fingers of LH, as
thumb is behind neck of lute:
First finger is laid accross all six strings, when many like letters
found in one stop, e.g. three bbb , three ccc &c.
|__c___d___f___|
| |
|__c___d___f___|
| |
|______________|
| |
|______________|
| |
|______________|
| |
|__c___d___f___|
20. When first finger occupied on two or three strings, other fingers stop
other strings.
Commonest chords shown, with fingerings. Practice of these will make
others easy.
|________|________|________|__a_____|__d_4___|__c_2___|__a_____|__a_____|
| | | | | | | | |
|__a_____|__b_1___|__d_4___|__b_1___|__a_____|__d_4___|__a_____|__b_1___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__c_2___|__d_3___|__b_1___|__b_1___|__b_1___|__d_3___|__b_1___|__d_3___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__c_1___|__c_2___|__a_____|________|________|__a_____|__c_2___|________|
| | | | | | | | |
|________|__a_____|________|__d_3___|________|________|________|__a_____|
| | | | | | | | |
|__a_____|________|__d_3___|________|__d_3___|________|________|________|
|________|__a_____|__d_4___|__c_3___|__a_____|__c_3___|__e_4___|________|
| | | | | | | | |
|__e_3___|__a_____|__a_____|__a_____|________|__a_____|__a_____|__c_2___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__f_4___|__c_2___|__b_1___|________|__b_1___|________|________|__d_3___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__e_2___|__c_1___|__c_2___|__b_1___|__c_2___|__c_2___|__c_1___|__c_1___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__c_1___|__c_1___|________|__c_2___|__d_3___|__c_2___|________|__a_____|
| | | | | | | | |
|________|__a_____|________|________|________|________|__a_____|________|
[SIC!]
|________|________|________|________|________|________||
| | | | | | ||
|________|________|__d_4___|__d_4___|__c_2___|__d_1___||
| | | | | | ||
|__d_4___|__b_1___|__b_1___|__d_3___|__d_3___|__d_1___||
| | | | | | ||
|__a_____|__a_____|__a_____|__c_1___|__c_1___|__e_2___||
| | | | | | ||
|__a_____|__c_2___|__c_2___|__a_____|__a_____|__f_3___||
| | | | | | ||
|__c_2___|__d_3___|________|________|________|________||
All these stops fingered thus, unless passage-work requires a change.
21. Other chords, which need the forefinger 'couched all along'
|________|________|__c_1___|__e_2___|__f_1___|__e_2___|__c_1___|__c_1___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__d_2___|__c_1___|__c_1___|__f_4___|__f_1___|__f_4___|__c_1___|__d_2___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__f_4___|__d_2___|__d_2___|__f_3___|__h_4___|__f_3___|__d_2___|__f_4___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__e_3___|__e_3___|________|__c_1___|________|__c_1___|__e_3___|________|
| | | | | | | | |
|__c_1___|________|________|________|__a_____|________|________|__c_1___|
| | | | | | | | |
|________|__c_1___|__c_1___|__a_____|________|________|________|________|
|__b_1___|__c_1___|________|________|__h_4___|__k_4___|__f_1___|__e_2___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__c_2___|________|__d_2___|__c_1___|__f_1___|__f_1___|__f_1___|__f_4___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__c_2___|__d_2___|__f_4___|__d_2___|__f_1___|________|__h_4___|__f_3___|
| | | | | | | | |
|________|__e_3___|__e_3___|__e_4___|__g_2___|__h_2___|__h_3___|__c_1___|
| | | | | | | | |
|__e_4___|__f_4___|__c_1___|__e_3___|__h_3___|________|__a_____|________|
| | | | | | | | |
|________|________|________|__c_1___|________|__f_1___|________|________|
|__c_2___|__c_1___||
| | ||
|__c_2___|__c_1___||
| | ||
|__c_2___|__e_4___||
| | ||
|__d_3___|__e_3___||
| | ||
|__e_4___|__e_2___||
| | ||
|________|__c_1___||
[SIC!]
22. Slanting lines under tab letters indicate 'close or covert play':
do not remove any finger except where needed for passage work.
Upright bar lines simply divide measures, sometimes of one semibreve,
sometimes two.
|\
|\
|\
|
|______________________|
| |
|__e_f_e_c__f_e_c_e____|
| . . . . |
|__f________f__________|
| / / |
|__e__/_____e__/_______|
| / / |
|__c________c__________|
| |
|______________________|
23. All other signs found in tablature as in music notation:

a) Point of Repetition:

| |
.| |.
| |
Repeat one thing twice.

b) Point of Rehearsal:
(
.|.
|
or
|
.|.
)
When in midst or at end, return to point marked.


c) Organ Point
_
/ \
|.|
Sometimes in midst; sometimes at end. Pause or rest with discretion.

d) Double Bar

| |
| |
| |
Sometimes to save writing one thing twice;
Sometimes means Omit some measure, as coming to point of
repetition or to an end.
Before Point of Repetition, on repeat, leave out what is between
| |
| |
| |
and
|.|
|.|
|.|
Contrariwise, at the end of piece, leave out what is between
| |
| |
| |
and
|.|
|.|
|.| the first time, playing 'that is beyond the end';
then returning to point of rehearsal, play what was omitted the first time
as final cadence.
24. Marks over tab. show note values. If only first note of bar marked,
all others are same value. Sometimes marks are actual notes; sometimes
other signs, according to manner of each country. A dot after a sign
augments its value by half. Longest note played on lute is:
|
|
|
| = semibreve;
anything longer must be played again.
(other values:
|\
|
|
| = minim
|\
|\
|
| = crotchet
|\
|\
|\
| = quaver
|\
|\
|\
|\
| = semiquaver).
25. Good tuning of the lute hard to explain, as subject to 'delicateness
of a string, either to the greatness, or to the smalness of the instrument'.
A good ear will help, listening to the highest and lowest strings.
Begin at the thickest Bass string;
tune its octave pair. (G g)
Next, thickest Tenor, a fourth higher than thickest Bass;
tune 8ve pair. (c c')
Next, thickest Countertenor 4th higher than thick Tenor;
tune octave pair. (f f')
Next, Great Means, 3rd above thick Countertenor, in unison. (a a )
Next, Small Means, 4th above Great Means, in unison. (d' d')
Finally, Treble string, 4th above Small Means. (g')
The Tune of the Lute
|___|___|___|___|_a_||_h_|_f__d_|_c__a_|______|______|____|____|____|.|
| | | | | || | | | | | | | |.|
|___|___|___|_a_|_f_||_a_|______|______|_d__b_|_a____|____|____|____|.|
| | | | | || | | | | | | | |.|
|___|___|_a_|_f_|___||___|_d__b_|_a____|______|____d_|_b__|_a__|____|.|
| | | | | || | | | | | | | |.|
|___|_a_|_e_|___|___||___|______|____c_|_a____|______|____|____|_c__|.|
| | | | | || | | | | | | | |.|
|_a_|_f_|___|___|___||___|______|______|____d_|_c__a_|____|____|____|.|
| | | | | || | | | | | | | |.|
|_f_|___|___|___|___||___|______|______|______|______|_d__|_c__|_a__|.|
Par Unissons. Par Octaves.
I.3 -- About Jan Harwood
Born in Petersfield, he received his first musical training as a chorister
in several English Cathedrals. He also studied aircraft design, and
graduated from the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1953.
Being interested in early music, he made a lute and started studying
with Diana Poulton. In April 1956 he had the idea of setting up the Lute
Society, which he and Diana founded a few months later.

In 1958 he started working as an instrument maker, and was soon joined by
John Isaacs, his partner until 1972. He was the first maker to make
lightly-built lutes with low-tension stringing. In 1960 he started his
professional career as lutenist. For his research into the sources of
English lute music, he received the Tovey Prize in 1964. In 1967 he
founded the Campian Consort: with it and with other ensembles he performed
and recorded a wide renaissance and baroque repertoire. In 1974 he started
making renaissance-type viols.
Ian Harwood, who is considered one of the pioneers of the revival of early
music, lives now in Hitchin (Hertfordshire, UK). He is an active member of
the Lute Society.
I.4 -- About the Lute Society
The Lute Society, now just over 40 years old, is a membership and
publishing society which exists to promote this wonderful instrument and
its music. Members receive a quarterly magazine, Lute News, which contains
news, features, CD reviews, competitions and a generous music supplement,
and an annual scholarly journal, The Lute.
The Lute Society holds four meetings a year (open to all) in London;
these meetings consist of talks and lecture recitals, concluding with a
recital by a top professional lute player. For the benefit of those unable
to attend, abstracts of lectures delivered at the meetings are printed in
the magazine.
The Society publishes performing editions of lute tablature, booklets,
plans for lute makers, and back issues of The Lute, and plans to publish
its first facsimile edition this year. Members obtain a discount on many
publications, and can order unbound tablature sheets for the cost of
postage only; new first time members receive a new members pack of 100
pages of tablature sheets.
For a free information pack, including a catalogue of publications and a
free copy of 'Lute News' email your postal address to Lutesoc@aol.com.
Part II -- About FEDERICO MARINCOLA
I live at the border between France and Italy, but I spend a lot of time
traveling around to play my concerts and to teach. Usually I have a quite
tight schedule, but, if you contact me well in advance, I might be available
for recitals and seminars, or for collaborations with professional
renaissance and baroque ensembles.
Here are my addresses and phone numbers:
email: lute@marincola.com
Lute Page: http://www.marincola.com
snailmail: CP 50, 18039, Ventimiglia (IM), Italy
French Tel. + 33.4.93356658
French fax + 33.4.93355668
Italian mobile + 39.347.7309321
Here is my CV. If you want to check my complete discography, see some press
reviews etc, you are warmly invited to visit my Lute Page at
http://www.marincola.com or you can get my Electronic Brochure
(send an email to info@marincola.com).
----- Curriculum Vitae -----
Born in Rome, Federico Marincola studied classical guitar with Sergio
Notaro, later specializing in the lute with Diana Poulton. Having won
a grant from the Dutch Government, he studied with Anthony Bailes at the
Sweelinck Conservatorium of Amsterdam. Another grant from the British
Council enabled him to study with Jakob Lindberg at the Royal College
of Music in London, where he obtained a Performer diploma in lute, a
second diploma in early music and the Certificate of Advanced Study.
He completed his training with Nigel North and Christopher Wilson.
In the last twenty years, Federico Marincola has been very active as a
performer. He has given many solo recitals and played with singers and
early music groups all over Europe. In 1986, he toured as a soloist in
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He is also in demand
as a "basso continuo" player, and has played in many baroque operas at
some of the most famous opera theaters of Italy (Teatro alla Scala, Milan;
Teatro dell Opera, Rome; Teatro Massimo, Palermo; Teatro Comunale,
Florence; Teatro San Carlo, Naples...). He is the theorbist with the
Cappella della Pieta' dei Turchini, one of the most important baroque
groups in Italy.
With the Italian baroque Ensemble "Arte dell'Arco" he has recently started
a new and extensive collaboration with Christopher Hogwood.
He has made more than twenty CDs with orchestras and small groups,
and has broadcasted in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, France,
Yugoslavia, the Vatican, India and Shri Lanka.
With "Verany Disques - Arion", he recorded a CD of pieces from the
"Vincenzo Capirola Lute Book" in 1992 (PV793012), a CD of pieces for lute
and renaissance guitar by the French composer Guillaume Morlaye in 1993
(PV794052) and a third CD of lute pieces by Anthony Holborne in 1995
(PV795112). These solo recordings have been very positively welcomed by
the international press ("5 Diapasons" to Capirola and Morlaye,
"5 Diapasons" and "10 by Repertoire" to Holborne).
Federico Marincola, who is also one of the founders of the Societa'
Italiana del Liuto, uses an instrumental technique which is based on
several treatises and iconographical sources from the 16th and 17th
centuries. He believes that, to give a convincing performance of this
repertoire, it is of paramount importance to have a profound knowledge
of the original fingerings and criteria of interpretation. He also finds
ideas and inspiration for the performance of early music in certain
aspects of the philosophy and astrology of the Renaissance period.
In the last few years he has also turned his attention to the study of
social science: he is convinced that the sociology of music can be a
great help in understanding the "spirit of the age" in which the
different repertoires were produced. In 1994 he was highly commended for
his thesis on the Jesuit opera Apotheosis sive Consecratio SS. Ignatii et
Francisci Xaverii (1622) by Hieronimus Kapsberger, which earned him his
degree in Sociology at the University of Urbino.
######### end of the "LuteBot Quarterly" #2, Spring 1998 ##########
(by Federico Marincola <lute@marincola.com>)