Steve Walter

Male

Bristol

United Kingdom

Profile Information:

About me:: I started my musical life as a classical guitarist and taught the instrument for about 12 years during the 1980's. I have always had a particular interest in early Spanish music and purchased a vihuela made by Nick Blishen in 1997. It was also during this year that I formed an early music group called Tamburrini specialising in vocal and instrumental music of Renaissance Spain. In 2000, I purchased a second vihuela from Nick. Tamburrini disbanded after 10 years of performance in 2007 and produced a CD in 2002. Subsequently, I have bought an 8 course Renaissance lute and viola da mano from Stephen Barber and recently formed another group called Rosafresca which performs Elizabethan lute songs and instrumentals as well as the Spanish repertoire. My most recent acquisitions are a vihuela and baroque guitar made for me by Alexander Batov.
Website:: http://www.rosafresca.co.uk

Rocky Mjos

Welcome to the network, Steve! -- R

Jul 10, 2010
Monica Hall

That's a good question. Sanz describes slurs - which he calls extrasino in Regla septima and he refers to this and the three other ornaments - trino, mordente and temblor as being the most common ones used in Italian tablature. He does also say that ornaments can be added ad lib even when not notated. As extrasinos are ornaments presumably they could be added even when not indicated. However as far as his own music it concerned I think it might not be very appropriate to use slurs in the short Spanish pieces where it is important to articulate the separate notes in the melodic line evenly. The thing about slurs is that they often cover irregular groups of notes creating a very characteristic effect which is often intentional with the stress falling in unexpected places. It's all about rhythm and articulation I suppose. I wonder what other people think.

Jan 28, 2015