EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC

University of Rochester
Comprehensive Examination Study Guide for Guitarists
Prof. Nicholas Goluses

THE VIHUELA

1. Briefly describe the differences between the vihuela de mano, the vihuela d’arco and the
vihuela de peñola. Cite which form endured the longest.

2. List nine (9) sixteenth-century sources of vihuela music. Include author, abbreviated title of
work, year of publication.

3. Describe typical vihuela tablature from the sixteenth-century. Are there any exceptions to this
‘rule’? If so, which composer uses a different system, and how is his tablature
different?

4. A vihuela treatise which contains the earliest known use of verbal indications of tempo.
Which one?

5. A vihuela treatise contains the earliest known appearance of “variations”technique. Which

one?

6. Describe Mudarra's method of indicating tempo.

7. Describe Valderrabano's method of indicating tempo.

8. Which vihuela-composer(s) also composed for the lute?

9. Which vihuela-composer(s) also composed for the four-course guitar?

10. Who wrote a treatise which not only contained vihuela music, but also vihuela technique,
instruction in music composition and music theory?

continues
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 2

THE FOUR-COURSE GUITAR

1. Please write in the tunings used by four-course guitarists.

Temple Viejos: __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

Courses 1 2 3 4

Temple Nuevos: __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

Courses 1 2 3 4

2. Describe aspects of right hand technique used by both vihuelests and four-course guitarists.

3. Cite representative composers of four-course guitar music from the following countries:

SPAIN - ITALY - FRANCE - ENGLAND

4. Describe the tablature system typical of four-course guitarists of the following countries.
Include whether numerals or letters were used to represent frets, and whether they used
mirror or inverted image.

SPAIN - ITALY - FRANCE - ENGLAND

(continues)
2
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 3

5. Name a four-course guitarist who also wrote for the Renaissance lute.

6. Name a four-course guitarist who also wrote for the vihuela.

THE RENAISSANCE LUTE

ESSAY
Discuss the Renaissance Lute. In your discussion, include detailed information about

composers for the instrument, tablature systems used, compositional forms used,

physical characteristics of the instrument itself, tuning(s) used, and name the

countries and centuries in which the Renaissance lute flourished.

TERMS

Instructions: Describe the following 15 terms as they pertain to the sixteenth-century vihuela
and four-course guitar music.

Intabulation Tiento Glosa

Fantasia Villancico Redoublez

Pavane Romance Fuga

Ricercare Soneto Viola

Differencias “Il Divino” Galliard

(continues)
3
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 4

THE BAROQUE
1. Name two representative composers from the French Baroque-Lute school:

______________________________

______________________________

2. Name two representative composers from the German Baroque-Lute school:

______________________________

______________________________

3. Name two representative composers from the French Baroque-Guitar school:

______________________________

______________________________

4. Name two representative composers from the Italian Baroque-Guitar school:

______________________________

______________________________

(continues)
4
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 5

5. Name two representative composers from the Spanish Baroque-Guitar school:

______________________________

______________________________

6. Name two representative composers from the English Baroque-Guitar school:

_____________________________

______________________________

7. Write in the tuning of the Nouveau-ton 13-course Baroque Lute for a work to be played in
G-minor:

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

COURSES: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

8. Write in the tuning of the 5-course Baroque-guitar used by Gaspar Sanz (INCLUDE PROPER
OCTAVE AND UNISION DOUBLINGS):

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

COURSES: 1 2 3 4 5

(continues)
5
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 6

9. Write in the tuning of the 5-course Baroque-guitar used by Robert

de Visee (INCLUDE PROPER OCTAVE AND UNISION DOUBLINGS):

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

COURSE: 1 2 3 4 5

10. List the names of the four dance movements which formed the core of the Baroque Suite
established by Froberger.

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

11. As the lute's range was extended downwards, it became clear that for the best results the very
low strings should be longer than the fingered strings. This was achieved by the
use of an extension to the neck of the instrument. Existing lutes were sometimes
modified by adding a second head fitted for three or four diapason courses and
joined to the neck and fingerboard at the bass side (the original bent pegbox also
being retained). Although this instrument seems to have originated in Italy, it was
soon taken up enthusiastically in France, where the addition of extra bass strings
occurred in conjunction with experimental tunings for the fingered strings. The
tuning for this instrument during the Renaissance was that of the Renaissance lute,
with the extra bass-riders tuned diatonically according to the mode or key of the
piece. Some of these instruments eventually adopted single-courses, particularly
those which reached 14-courses. The strings were generally made of gut. This
instrument was primarily used as a continuo instrument, although some
particularly elegant solo music was also written for it.

Name the instrument described above: ________________________________

(continues)
6
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 7

12. Please name an instrument current from about 1590 to about 1655 used primarily to
accompany solo singing. In a letter dated 1592 Cavalieri wrote that this
instrument was invented by Antonio Naldi. The instrument had a greatly
extended neck to accommodate the unstopped bass strings, which were about
twice the length of the stopped courses. By about 1600 this instrument had
become the favorite instrument in Italy for accompanying the voice; some
exquisite solo music was also composed for it. This instrument was usually
strung with six double-courses over the fingerboard and eight single diapasons or
basses; on occasion single strings were used throughout. Usually metal strings
were used. The tuning of the stopped courses, like those of a Renaissance lute (as
well as the instrument described in question #11), was P4-P4-M3-P4-P4.

Name the instrument described above: ___________________________________

13. Realize the following Baroque ornaments according to the principles set forth by Johann
Sebastian Bach in the "Clavier-Buchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach" (1720).

Realization in notes Ornament name

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

(continues)
7
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 8

14. Name the two scholarly sources (cataloguers) for the music of Domenico Scarlatti:

__________________________________

__________________________________

15. Name the two scholarly sources for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach:

__________________________________

__________________________________

(continues)
8
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 9

CLASSICAL-ROMANTIC PERIOD
1. Discuss the relationship between Sor and Aguado. Compare and contrast their compositions,
techniques, aesthetics, and influence. Are there reprints of urtext editions of their
compositions? If so, by which publishing companies?

2. Discuss the contributions made by Mauro Giuliani. Cite major compositions, modern urtext
reprints, influence, performing achievements.

3. Compare two of the following composers and contrast their influence. Cite major
compositions, modern editions of value, influence, performing achievements.

Carcassi
Carulli
Legniani
Pagannini

4. Contrast the careers and compositional styles of Giulio Regondi and Napoleon Coste. In your
discussion, please cite specific compositions and provide commentary.

5. Contrast the relationship to the guitar experienced by Hector Berlioz, Franz Schubert, and
Luigi Boccherini. In your discussion, please cite specific compositions and provide
commentary.

6. Discuss the contributions to the guitar made by Francisco Tarrega. Cite developments in the
instrument, technique, specific compositions, as well as his performing career teaching
career.

7. What was the status of the guitar in the nineteenth century? Why? Has the situation changed
in the twentieth century?

(continues)
9
 Comprehensive Study Guide for Guitar, page 10

THE TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST CENTURIES

1. Trace the development of the Guitar Concerto in the twentieth-century. Include repertoire,
performers, composers, as well as stylistic and composition techniques for both the guitar
and the orchestra.

2. Discuss the contributions of Andrés Segovia. Include in your discussion his role in
developing repertoire, technique, the presence of the guitar on the concert stage, the
presence of the guitar in conservatories and universities.

3. Trace the development of the chamber music repertoire for the guitar in the twentieth-
century. Include repertoire, performers, composers, as well as stylistic and composition
techniques for both the guitar and the ensemble.

4. Trace the development of the solo repertoire for the classic-guitar in the United States.
Include repertoire, performers, composers, as well as stylistic and composition
techniques.

5. Trace the development of the solo repertoire for the classic-guitar in Great Britain. Include
repertoire, performers, composers, as well as stylistic and composition techniques.

6. Trace the development of the solo repertoire for the classic-guitar in Spain. Include
repertoire, performers, composers, as well as stylistic and composition techniques.

7. Trace the development of the solo repertoire for the classic-guitar in Latin-America.
Include repertoire, performers, composers, as well as stylistic and composition
techniques.

8. Trace the development of the twelve tone repertoire for the classic-guitar.

(continues)
10