basso continuo on the baroque guitar.

[Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen]

I'm interested in knowing how to arrange a song with basso continuo onto the baroque guitar. Is there some articles or book on the subject.

[Elmar Driver]

Probably you already know "A guide to playing the baroque guitar" by James Tyler.

On pages 27, 28 there is "A note to basso continuo" and James Tyler recommends as an overview Jack Ashworth and Paul O'Dette's chapter "basso continuo" in "A performer's Guide to Seventeenth-Century Music" and Monica Hall's article "The Five-Course Guitar as a Continuo Instrument" in "Lute News. Another one: Nigel North's "Continuo Playing on the Lute, Archlute and Theorbo". On page 29 James Tyler gives an example and on pages 118-153 there is a chapter "Pieces for guitar and basso continuo".

[Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen]

I have both books by Tyle and the Guide to seventeenth ... I just wanted to se some examples of how to play from a figured bass, and what to do when the bass notes is deeper then the baroque guitar.

[Stuart Walsh]

Lars, Editions Chanterelle published this facsimile some years ago....how to play  a 'true Base  upon the Guitarre' (1682)

[Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen]

Thanks Stuart

[George Foster]

Digital facsimile of Matteis available here:
http://www.bibliotecamusica.it/cmbm/viewschedatwbca.asp?path=/cmbm/...

[Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen]

nice. Thank You.

[Bill Brettschneider]

Murcia "resumen de acompanyar." 

Gaspar Sanz also deals with it a bit. I know it can be tempting to write out a keyboardist style part, but I think a strong case can be made for turning a basso line into a simple strummed accompaniment. There were enough charts published linking each Bass note in a key with an alfabetto chord that it must have been at least one of the popular ways to do it. Looking at sources that supply both alfabetto and a basso line, sometimes the harmony suggested by the bass is quite different from what the guitarist would play. I have been working on some pieces by Domenico Obizzi, where this is sometimes the case. So I would say that as a starting point you consider the ensemble. Continuo is to support the other parts first and foremost, so I would do the simplest thing I can that doesn't get in the way of the other parts. 

[Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen]

Thanks Bill. That makes good sense :-) I'm actually been thinking in that way too.

[Jelma van Amersfoort]

Hi Lars, don't worry about playing bass notes that are too low an octave higher. That is necessary and normal. 

[Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen]

ok. Thanks Jelma :-)