8/3/2019 How to hold a lute
1/2
Looking at the three pages of lutenistsillustrated in the April
issue of EarlyMusic (pp. 137-39). I was remin ded thatartists have
often unwittingly recordedinformal ion not available
elsewheretoday.This is specially true of the medievallute, since no
instrument or playingmethod has survived. The artist tells usthai
it was not necessary to sit down inorder to play. Because the
instrumentwas not as big as the renaissance lute,ihe player could
support it against hischesi with the right wrist under thebridge.
The left hand also supportedthe neck as no ribbon is used aroundthe
players' shoulders. The quill washeld between thumb and index
finger,but unlike modern pencil-holding, theoilier end is steadied
between index andmiddle finger. (1)
About 1.500, many changes affectedthe playing position. The
lutenistreplaced the quill with thumb, indexand middle linger lips,
often playingmore than one note at a time. The luteacquired more
strings, eleven or twelveplaved as six, and it grew in
size,obliging the lutenist lo sit down.The right forearm now
presses theline down onto thigh or even a table (aseventually
recommended bv Mace in1676). (2)'Even the ten course 17th-century
lutecould be held in this way, (3 & 4)The double-headed lute,
with up totwelve courses, was end-heavy, needingmore support, and
we see the use of alooi-warmer as a foot siool in the terBorch
painting. (5)Also on this lute we see a lace aroundthe edge of the
sound-board. The laceseems lo have been introduced in thesecond
quarter of the 17th-century, asthe number of strings increased.
Ithelped hold the glue joints of bellv toribs, and preserved the
edge of thesou nd- boa rd from wear. But it seems tome that it also
provided a grippingsurlace against clothing, to prevent thelute
slipping while playing. How elseare we lo explain the playing
positionof Mouton with his French lutebalanced precariously on his
coat? (6)There is another possible explana-tion which I spotted
recently in apainting by Mieris. (7) The two ivory
How to hold a lute: historicalevidence from paintingsROBERT
SPENCER
/. Matteodi Giovanni, fl. 1452 d. 149"), detailfrom The
Assumption of the Virgin, c. 1474,ljondon. National Gallery.2
Agoitino Carrara, 15 > 7 -1 6 0 2 , Man w ith aLute, 1576,
Boston, Museum of Fine Arts.3 IJ Valentin, f>) 1591-1632, detail
from The
Four Ages of Man, c. 7625, London, NationalGallery.4. (') Peeler
Franch oip, 1606-54, (? )JacquesGaultier, c . 1635. Baton, Museum
of Fine Arts.5. Gerard ter Borck, 1617-81, detailfromWoman playing
a lute, c. 1670, London,National Gallery.
35 3
8/3/2019 How to hold a lute
2/2
buttons on the back of the lute arejoined by a string on which
are tied twoloops. I suggest these could be loopedover buttons on
the player's coat ordress to help support the lute. TheVictoria and
Albert Museum has in itscollection a lute on which the two
smallbutton s are joined by a string, but noloops.The really
end-heavy chitarrone wassupported by a band of material orleather
fixed to a wooden hook behindand above the first peg-box. (8)
Theband ran across the left shoulder,behind the back, and hooked
into awooden eye fixed to the middle of thecaooine strip.
6. Francois de Troy, 1654-I7JO, C harles Mouton , c . 1690,
Paris, Musiedu Louvre, engraved by Gerard Edelinck 1640-1707.7.
Wiilem van Miens, 16 62-1747, detail rom The N eglected Lute ,c.
1695, London, Buckingham Palace.8. Theodore Rombouts, M97-I6J7,
detadfrom The Five Senses, Ghent,Museum voor Schone Kunsten.
354
