Corbetta's Caprice de Chacone in C Major

[Harry Jess]

I have a problem with the rasguado section from bars 35 - 38 in this piece. In my tablatures (from Gavin Emery's web site "The Baroque Guitar" ) the ups and downstrokes are indicated with arrows, but often I find them a bit unnatural. Am I free to work out my own system that feels natural to me? Can I use 3 or 4 finger rasguados? I also feel that striking all the open strings in some of the chords creates a disharmony, and I wonder how I might solve this problem.
Harry

[Monica Hall]

Hi - I don't know if anyone else has commented on this and I haven't seen Gavin Emery's version of it. However in the original tablature and in the instructions at the beginning of the book Corbetta has given very precise instructions as to how this passage should be played - which chords with the thumb and which with the first and second fingers. The "disharmony" is intentional - you should include all five courses in the strum. This shouldn't be a problem providing you are playing it on a baroque guitar with the method of stringing which Corbetta indicates in the preface - i.e. octave stringing only on the fourth course and the fifth tuned in unison in the upper octave.
Best

Monica

[Harry Jess]

Thank you very much, Monica! I have read your instructive article on the stringing of the baroque guitar, and I use the stringing/tuning you mention above. Good to hear that the disharmony is intentional, and also that the ups and downs follow a strict pattern. Then I guess Gavin Emery has had Corbetta's book in front of him when he has indicated this. Again, thank you very much for your kind response!
Best wishes
Harry

[Monica Hall]

Hi Harry - I hope the info was helpful! It just occurred to me that if you check my website there is a study on Bartolotti and in the section on his Book 2 on p.9 I have actually reproduced the original notation and what Corbetta says about it and also a version of it which occurs in the Gallot ms. which shows the fingering. This "repicco" variation crops up all over the place in different versions - it was something everyone had a go at.

That said - it's not easy to play in the way described!!

[Harry Jess]

Wonderful, Monica! Right now I'm printing out the whole article, looking forward to studying it in detail. Seemed to be exactly what I was looking for, also in terms of chords and open courses. And pp. 9-10 about Cobetta's Caprice de Chacone: Bull's eye! Again: thank you very much!
Best wishes
Harry