The Stringing of the Vihuela

[Harry Jess]

Hello!
I know that in transitional periods both single stringed Baroque guitars and even single stringed lutes have co-existed with their double-stringed counterparts, albeit few in number (at least, this is what I have read). But are there any anecdotal or iconographical indications that this might have been the case as far as the vihuela is concerned?

Then: I have a small vihuela of 56cm string length tuned in A. Recently I removed one string from the secong course so that the two first treble strings are single and I feel I am able to play more clearly and cleanly now. Is this totally unhistorical and unforgivable?

Yours
Harry Jess

[Rob MacKillop]

I don't have any citations for you, Harry. It seems to me you are trying to justify playing with single strings, at least on the first two courses. You say you can play more clearly and cleanly. If these things are important to you, I would say go with it. You have to be convinced that you are doing the music a good service, whether single or double strings, or in arrangement for tuba. But you also have to be careful not to impose a different aesthetic from the one we might imagine the composer had in mind. We have so little information, it is difficult to say for sure that some players did or did not do as you do. I imagine with gut strings breaking, there were all sorts of stringing being used at different times.

In short, certainly not unforgiveable, in my opinion at least. Just cut back on the blues bends!

Rob

[Harry Jess]

Thank you very much for your answer, Rob1 As you said, there is an element of justification here.....I have been listening for a while now to your wonderful vihuela recordings on your page and the round soft sound produced by your fingertips. But since the classical guitar is my favourite, I must stick to my nails, and I guess that is the reason why I feel I play more cleanly with two single treble strings.

Harry

[Rob MacKillop]

Then you are beyond saving...Dante has reserved an entire circle in Hell for classical guitarists. Vihuelists get to snuggle up to Beatrice and her girlfriends...
Rob

[Harry Jess]

Rob, I had hoped I was bound for somewhere else..........

[Kaimi]

I think the answer would be, we don't know because only three vihuela have survived, all three of them with six courses. It may be some people played vihuela in this manner but we don't know.

If it feels right to you, I think that is more important than historical accuracy of minutia which we don't have the complete record of in any case. :)

Also, I agree with what Rob has said above.

~Kaimi

[Harry Jess]

Thank you, Kaimi. Good to have a second opinion. Then I think I can go on playing with two single treble strings without feeling too guilty about it!
Harry

[Kaimi]

If you record any music with your vihuela stringed this way it would be lovely to listen and see how much difference there is. :)

~Kaimi

[Traversac Roger]

Well, in fact Julian Bream plays or played the lute that way ! On the opposite, for what concerns the vihuela, he plays it as an italian vihuela : All the strings, twelve in all for six courses, are doubled. So, do as you please.

Best wishes,

Roger

[Harry Jess]

Thank you for your advice, Traversac!