The Guitar in the SCA Period · The Guitar in the SCA Period Lady Ysabel da Costa Barony of Carolingia, Kingdom of the East [email protected] This class is about SCA-period historic

The Guitar in the SCA PeriodLady Ysabel da Costa

Barony of Carolingia, Kingdom of the [email protected]

This class is about SCA-period historic music: both music written specifically for the Renaissance guitar, and also other SCA-period music that can be played on Renaissance guitar (or ukulele). It isn't about modern SCA filk-style ukulele or guitar music -- although that is fun too!

1. Were there guitars in the SCA period? a. Before 1500:

Lute -- introduced to Western Europe from Islamic world via SpainTuned in 4ths with an interior thirdTied gut frets; chromatic fretting patternOriginally had four courses, then five (until about 1450), then six or more

Gittern -- a small treble luteUsually carved from the solid with a curved pegboxGenerally had 4 courses of strings (some had five)

Citole -- a native European instrument thought to be related to the fiddleTuning uncertain, likely 4ths and 5thsCitole tuning may have included an interval of a second, like its descendant

the Renaissance citternOften depicted with fixed wooden frets and/or diatonic frettingNot directly related to the guitar

b. 16th century: Spanish vihuela -- a figure-eight-shaped instrument tuned exactly like a lute4-course Renaissance guitar -- a small vihuela or figure-eight shaped gitternThe vihuela and guitar are effectively the Spanish versions of the lute and gitternSpanish Christians objected to the Moorish look of the lute, so they changed to the

figure-eight shape (northern countries kept the original lute shape)The guitar has always been associated with Spain

c. After 1600: the many descendents of the Renaissance guitarGuitars appear everyplace that the Spanish and Portuguese established colonies5-course Baroque guitar (1580 - 1780), Madieran machete, Brazilian cavaquinho,

Hawiian ukulele, Venezuelan cuatro, Mexican Mariachi guitar, many other folk guitars, and of course modern guitars

d. Where to find a reproduction Renaissance guitar? Reproduction Renaissance guitars are made by many lute makersA ukulele is quite a reasonable substitute!

2. About the 4-course Renaissance guitar. a. Stringing, tuning, pitch, and temperament

Strung with gut (now we use Nylgut or nylon), not metal. Most commonly tuned Gg-cc-ee-aVariant tunings were sometimes used; eg, “Temple viejo” is Ff-cc-ee-aMoveable tied-on gut frets, usually 10 of them

Frets above the 5th one are rarely used

b. Playing method and technique (punteado and rasgueado)Punteado: plucked notes, as with lute or classical guitar playing

Played with the flesh of the fingertips ("nibble end") -- not fingernailsLittle finger rests on the table between the rose and the bridgeInstrument is held nearly horizontal, neck is not angled up steeplyThumb passes under the 1st finger -- doesn't stick out as for modern

Classical guitar technique. Fingers are oblique to the strings, not at right angles.

Is it “period” to strum chords? Yes!Rasgueado is idiomatic to the guitar and characteristic of it.

Strumming is already described as "old-fashioned" by Juan Bermudo, Declaracion de instrumentos musicales, pre-1555

Chords appear in tablatures (MS and print); common chords had descriptive names in Spanish: "puente", "dedillo", "cruzado"

Music with special notation for chords first appears in Amat, 1586"Alfabeto" chord notation: first printed in early 17c Italian books, but is

thought to date to the mid-16c.

Technique for rasgueado (strumming)Guitar was always strummed with the fingers, not a plectrum

All fingers and the thumb were used16th century strumming technique was not like modern folk guitar!Flamenco is its own highly evolved style, somewhat closer to what we wantSee descriptions of strumming technique in period (17c) guitar booksJames Tyler suggests studying Venezuelan cuatro strumming techniqueExtant 16c music can show us period strumming patterns

c. Who played guitar, and when? (country, social class, gender, attitudes)Guitar arises in Spain before 1500; it's often called the “Spanish” or “Neapolitan”

guitar in other countries (Naples was ruled by Spain in the 16c)Guitar was very popular in mid 16c France; French King Henri II played it. Many

books of guitar tablature were published in the 1550's in Paris, 9 of these are extantThere is also guitar music from mid-16c England: a published book (not extant)

plus tablatures in manuscripts and commonplace books.

Popular with nobility as well as common folkAlso played in Italy, Netherlands, and of course Spain, but little written music from

those places survivesVihuelas and guitars were brought on the first Spanish ships to the New World;

imports of instruments and strings are documented from 1512

d. What was played on the 4-course guitar in the 16th century?Dance music (pavanes, galliards, bransles, almans, etc.)Song accompanimentsLute-style intabluations of polyphonic music, both secular and sacredGround basses (eg. passemezzo, buffens, folia) were very popular in 16c

Some were used for recitation of romances, such as Conte ClarosChords had common names and were probably played without written music -- just

as many people play guitar today!

3. Extant 16c music for the guitar: tablaturea. Three kinds of 16c tablature notation - French, Italian, Neapolitan. b. Printed music (France, Spain, and Italy)

A guitar tutor existed, but unfortunately only a few fragments of it survivec. Manuscript music (England)d. Tablature gives actual pitches -- no "musica ficta" -- so it's more precise in that way than

staff notation and can sometimes resolve questions for use. Tablature provides evidence about otherwise unwritten musical practice — vocal

accompaniment technique, embellishment of repeats, graces, strumming

Snarky remarks about the guitar from back in the day:

“We used to play the lute more than the guitar, but for 12 or 15 years now, everyone has been guitaring, and the lute is nearly forgotten in favor of heaven knows what kind of music on the guitar, which is much easier than that for the lute.” -- Anon. French writer in 1556

“Up to our time, this instrument [the vihuela] has been highly esteemed, and it has had most excellent musicians. However, since guitars were invented, very few have devoted themselves to studying the vihuela. [This] has been a great loss, for on it all types of plucked [i.e., polyphonic] music was played. But now the guitar is no more than a cowbell, so easy to play, especially when strummed, that there is nary a stable boy who is not a guitar player.” -- Sebastian de Covarrubias Oroszco, Tesoro de la lengua castellana, o espanola, Madrid, 1611

4. Let’s play some guitar music!

References:

Harvey Turnbull. The Guitar from the Renaissance to the Present Day. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1974.James Tyler and Paul Sparks, The Guitar and Its Music: From the Renaissance to the Classical Era. Oxford University Press, 2007.Christopher Page. The Guitar in Tudor England: A Social and Musical History. Cambridge University Press, 2015.Paul O'Dette, "Plucked Instruments", in A Performer's Guide to Renaissance Music, ed. Jeffery Kite-Powell. Indiana University Press, 2007.

Links:

For some facsimiles of 16th century printed books for Renaissance guitar, see http://earlymusiconline.org. Click the link to browse via Royal Holloway's digital repository, then search on "guitar".

Additional facsimiles are available at http://www.guitareclassiquedelcamp.com/partitions/facsimile.html.

A podcast from East Carolina University featuring Prof. Jocelyn Nelson performing on Renaissance guitar is available online at: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/mktg/treasured_tunes_jocelyn_nelson_transcript.cfm

Common Chordsgiven as fret diagrams and French tablature with fingering suggestions,

with 17c Alfabeto symbols and 16c Spanish common names

C majorAlfabeto symbol: AName: “dedillo”

C F G Dm Gm A B E D Am

Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10

Common Chords for the 4-course Guitar

with left-hand fingering suggestions

C Cm C5 D Dm Eb E Em

F G Gm G5 A Am Bb B

F majorAlfabeto symbol: BName: “puente”




F G Gm G5 A Am Bb BC F G Dm Gm A B E D Am

Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10

G majorAlfabeto symbol: CName: “cruzado”


Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10




F G Gm G5 A Am Bb B


Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10




F G Gm G5 A Am Bb B

D minorAlfabeto symbol: DName: “bemol del patilla”

G minorAlfabeto symbol: EName: “medio cruzado”




F G Gm G5 A Am Bb BC F G Dm Gm A B E D Am

Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10


Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10


Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10


Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10


Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10


Ren. Guitar = A = E

= C = G

1/1

3000

0102

2320

0122

1320

C F G Dm Gm1 2 3 4 5

0012

1123

1333

0222

0002

A B E D Am6 7 8 9 10




F G Gm G5 A Am Bb B




F G Gm G5 A Am Bb BCommon Chords for the 4-course Guitar



F G Gm G5 A Am Bb B




F G Gm G5 A Am Bb B




F G Gm G5 A Am Bb B

A majorAlfabeto symbol: FName: “cruzadillo”

Bb majorAlfabeto symbol: GName: “vacas”

Eb majorAlfabeto symbol: HName: “patilla atra”

D majorAlfabeto symbol: IName: “patilla”

A minorAlfabeto symbol: +Name: “bemolillo”

1 œ œ œ œI I I I

2 œ œ œ œI

II

I

3 œ œ œ œ œI I

II I

4 œ œ œ œ œ œI I

II I

I

5 ˙ œI

I

6 œ œ œI I

I

7 .œ jœ œI

II

8 œ œ œ œI I

II

9 œ œ œ œ œI I

II

I

Strumming Patterns and Technique

© Lisa K. Koch - Permission granted for use with attribution (CC BY 4.0)

Duple time

Triple time

A tick mark below the bar indicates a downward strum (from the G string to the A string).A tick mark above the bar indicates an upward strum. Upward strums are unstressed compared to downward strums.

Down strokes are played with the backs of the fingernails of the index, middle, ring, and sometimes little fingers of the right hand (think of the way Flamenco guitarists do it). All four courses (strings) are played on a down stroke. Up strokes use at least the index finger, and may include only the top course or two, or all courses. The thumb isn't usually used for down strokes, but may be used for up strokes.

While plucked notes are usually played over the rose (or soundhole) of the instrument, extended strummed passages are played further up, near the place where the fretboard meets the body.

Chords can be strummed loudly or softly, quickly or slowly, for different effects. The sound can be cut off abruptly by muting the strings with the heel of the right hand or the backs of the right-hand fingers. Check the references for descriptions of additional special techniques, such as the trillo, dedillo, or repicco. You can also tap or knock on the table (front of the body) of your instrument for percussive effects.

1 ˙ ˙I I

2 œ œ œ ŒI

II

Œ3 ˙ ˙

I I

4 œ œ œ ŒI

II

Œ

5 ˙ œI

I

6 œ œ œI I

I

7 .œ jœ œI

II

8 œ œ œ œI I

II

9 œ œ œ œ œI I

II

I

Strumming Patterns and Technique


Duple time

Triple time

A tick mark below the bar indicates a downward strum (from the G string to the A string).A tick mark above the bar indicates an upward strum. Upward strums are unstressed compared to downward strums.

Down strokes are played with the backs of the fingernails of the index, middle, ring, and sometimes little fingers of the right hand (think of the way Flamenco guitarists do it). All four courses (strings) are played on a down stroke. Up strokes use at least the index finger, and may include only the top course or two, or all courses. The thumb isn't usually used for down strokes, but may be used for up strokes.

While plucked notes are usually played over the rose (or soundhole) of the instrument, extended strummed passages are played further up, near the place where the fretboard meets the body.

Chords can be strummed loudly or softly, quickly or slowly, for different effects. The sound can be cut off abruptly by muting the strings with the heel of the right hand or the backs of the right-hand fingers. Check the references for descriptions of additional special techniques, such as the trillo, dedillo, or repicco. You can also tap or knock on the table (front of the body) of your instrument for percussive effects.

& C .. ..œ œ œ œ œA m2

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œA m2

˙ œ

& .. ..œ œ œ œ œ œG1 23

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

A m2

˙ œ

SCA Maltese Bransle


Schiarazula Marazula

SCA Maltese Bransle Schiarazula Marazula

Strumming pattern

II

I

C

II

II

F12

G1 23

II

I

C

II

I

F12

G1 23

II

I

C

II

II

F12

G1 23

II

I

C

II

I

F12

G1 23

Conde Claros


Traditional Spanish romance

Notes on French Tablature for the Renaissance Guitar

!d

" "a

"b

# "a

"! "c

! "a

"b

$ ""c

!e

"d

" # "d

"e

! "f

b

"%&

a' &c

"c

"d

$ "e

!"b

Music engraving by LilyPond 2.18.2—www.lilypond.org

Each horizontal line represents one course (or string), with the course on the left (closest to the player) on the bottom, and the string on the right (furthest from the player) on the top, as in the picture.

Frets are represented by letters. Letter a means play the open string (no fret). Letter b means to fret the string at the first fret, c is the second fret, d is the third fret, etc.

The durations of notes in both French and Italian tablature are given by stems and flags above the letters. Just as with staff notation, each added flag on a stem shortens the note duration by a factor of two.

A flag applies to the note below it, and also to all subsequent notes that don’t have flags of their own, until a new flag appears.

Conte Clare Guillaume Morlaye

Premier Livre de Guiterne 1552

& 43 œ# œ œMes pas se

A12

.˙#mez

A12

œ œ œet loin al

Dm12 3

.l̇ez

C2

- -

&4 œ œ œPar di uers

F12

.ṡo

C2

œ œ œli tair es

Dm12 3

.˙#lieux:

A12

- - - -

&8 œ# œ œEt tant plus

A12

.˙#j'ai

A12

œ œ œma voix hau

Dm12 3

.ċée

C2

-

&12 œ œ œEt si ne

F12

.˙sçay

C2

œ œ œquand j'au rai

Dm12 3

.˙#mieux.

A12

-

&16 œ# œ œSont de pen

A12

Dm12 3

C2

˙ œsers en

F12

C2

œ œ œtre mel

Dm12 3

˙# Œlez,

A12

- - - -

Mes Pas SemezAdrian Le Roy, Seconde Livre de Guiterre, 1555

arr. Ysabel da Costawords by Mellin de Saint-Gelais


&20 œ# œ œQui rend ent

A12

Dm12 3

C2

˙ œhu mi

F12

C2

œ œ œdes mes

Dm12 3

˙# Œyeux,

A12

- - -

& .. ..24 œ# œ œTant mois je

A12

Dm12 3

C2

˙ œme sens

F12

C2

œ œ œ#e xau

Dm12 3

A12

.ċée.

D1 2 3

--

Narcissus, responds s'il te plaist,Ois tu mon cry, ie croy que non:Rien ne sera mon piteux plaid,Fors par tout espandre ton nom.Donc ie te pry ne me nieTa bien aimée compagnie,Et tu sera en bon renom.

Ton bon sçauoir ny parler promptNe m'acquierent aucun plaisir:Car l'absence de l'amy, romptTout ce qu'en espere mon desir:Mais puis que c'est ma destinée,Que ie soye amante obstinée,Ie quitte propos & plaisir.

Respondant à plusieurs parleurs,Ie n'en ay sceu trouuer aucun,Qui s'aprochast de tes valeurs:Pour cela i'entretiens chacun,C'est enattendant ta presence:Car ie suis en ferme constance,Parler à tous, & n'aimer qu'un.

Mes pas semez & loing allezPar diuers solitaires lieux:Et tant plus i'ay ma voix haucée Et si ne sçay quand i'aurai mieux.Sont de pensers entremellez,Qui rendent humides mes yeux, Tant mois ie me sens exaucée.

Ie n'ai tenu mes pas si chers,Ny mon esprit tant endormy, Que par montaignes & rochersIe n'aye cherché mon amy:L'oeil au guet, l'aureille ententiue, La parole prompte & naifue, Mais de luy n'ay mot ne demy.

Quand quelqu'un parle il m'est auisQue Narcissus ha quelque ennuy,Ie me presente vis à visPour tenir propos à celuyQui telle parole prononce,En luy faisant mesme response,Mesme propos & mesmes dicts.

II

Dm12 3

I II

I II

A12

Dm12 3

I II

I II

C F12

I II

I II

C Dm12 3

I II

I II

A12

Dm12 3

I II

I II

A12

Dm12 3

I II

I II

C F12

I II

I II

A12

Gm12 3

I II

I

D1 2 3

Folia sopra "D"


Carlo Calvi, Intavolatura di chitarra e chitarriglia, 1646

& # 46 ˙ œ ˙ œ

G1 23

˙ œ œ œ œG1 23

˙ œ ˙ œ

A m2

˙ œ œ œ œA m2

& # ..5 ˙ œ ˙ œ

G1 23

˙ œ œ œ œG1 23

˙ œ ˙ œ

A m2

˙ œ œ œ œA m2

& # 46 ..9 ˙ œ ˙ œG1 23

.œ Jœ œ ˙ œC D

1 2 3

.œ Jœ œ ˙ œG1 23

C

.œ Jœ œ ˙ œ

D1 2 3

C

& # ..13 ˙ œ ˙ œG1 23

.œ Jœ œ ˙ œC D

1 2 3

.œ Jœ œ ˙ œG1 23

C

.œ Jœ œ .˙

D1 2 3

G1 23

& # .. ..17 œ œ œ œ œ œ

G1 23

œ œ œ œ œ œ

G1 23

œ œ œ œ œ œ

G1 23

œ œ œ .˙

G1 23

Dargason, or Sedany


John Playford, The English Dancing Master, 1651

GrimstockJohn Playford, The English Dancing Master, 1651

& 46 œ ˙ œ ˙ œF12

.˙ ˙ œ

C

˙ œ ˙ œ

A m2

.˙ ˙ œ

G1 23

& ..5 ˙ œ ˙ œ

F12

˙ œ ˙ œD m

123

˙ œ ˙ œG1 23

.˙ ˙C

& .. œ ˙ œ ˙ œG1 23

.˙ ˙ œ

G1 23

˙ œ ˙ œC

.˙ ˙ œC

& ..13 ˙ œ ˙ œF12

˙ œ ˙ ŒG1 23

˙ œ ˙ œG1 23

.˙ ˙C

If all the World were Paper


John Playford, The English Dancing Master, 1651

If all the world were paperand all the sea were ink,If all the trees were bread and cheese,what would we do for drink?

If every bottle leaked,and none had but a crack,If Spanish apes ate all the grapes,what would we do for sack?

Documents

The Guitar in the SCA Period · The Guitar in the SCA Period Lady Ysabel da Costa Barony of Carolingia, Kingdom of the East [email protected] This class is about SCA-period historic