-
Thirty Easy Pieces for the Renaissance Lute - Nos 5 and 6 Villancico and Spagnoletto (Negri)
Apparently Cesare Negri (c. 1535 – c. 1605) was both a dancer and a lutenist. Apparently these short piece are intended as dance accompaniment. I am tried to play them lively and articulated (especially the first one) but I don't think I succeeded.
Overall, I think I need to have a lighter touch. I really struggle with using the RH ring finger while having my pinky down. I notice that my hand continued to slip back into a more guitar-like position, lifting my wrist.-
Jack Stewart Jack, if you’re having such difficulty with your nails, you should at least try playing without them. It will feel strange at first, but after a while (in my experience at least) it will feel perfectly natural. And, if you’re in a position to do so, you should consider taking up a period instrument, for which non-use of nails is normal. Those Sor variations would sound great on a romantic era guitar!
-
David Krupka Hey David, I have considered (well, sort of) playing without nails. I have played, briefly w/o nails and didn't care for it. But that is hardly a fair comparison. I feel I would miss the crispness that nails provides. However, I do think it would be worthwhile to seriously experiment without nails, especially realizing that I don't think my nails will ever recover.
BTW, I'm not sure my playing the Sor variations would sound great w/o nails - perhaps without fingers.
-
Jack Stewart Playing without fingers - an interesting idea that brings to mind a line from Keats: ‘Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter’. He may have had a point … But seriously, Sor played without nails, so why shouldn’t we? Of course, it’s a very challenging piece - one I tried and gave up on a long time ago. It’s coming along nicely in your hands, though! (I imagine it would be a little less difficult on a smaller 19th c. instrument.)
-
