A Guide to Playing the Baroque Guitar


Book Description

James Tyler offers a practical manual to aid guitar players and lutenists in transitioning from modern stringed instruments to the baroque guitar. He begins with the physical aspects of the instrument, addressing tuning and stringing arrangements and technique before considering the fundamentals of baroque guitar tablature. In the second part of the book Tyler provides an anthology of representative works from the repertoire. Each piece is introduced with an explanation of the idiosyncrasies of the particular manuscript or source and information regarding any performance practice issues related to the piece itself -- represented in both tablature and staff notation. Tyler's thorough yet practical approach facilitates access to this complex body of work.




Historical Lute Construction


Book Description

The most comprehensive, authoritative work on understanding and building authentic lutes, by a world renown luthier and scholar. Historical section covers the development of the lute from the 15th through the 18th century with over 100 photographs of ancient lutes and 50 diagrams; practicum section covers the construction of the lute in minute detail with over 600 step-by-step photographs and a dozen diagrams. Includes a list of historic makers, catalog of extant historic lutes, bibliography and index, plus complete reduced images of seven lute plans.




Classical Guitar Answer Book


Book Description

In this update of the Acoustic Guitar Answer Book, Sharon Isbin, the classical guitar virtuoso who heads the Juilliard School Guitar Department, answers 50 essential questions about performing, practicing, and choosing and caring for your guitar. The questions were asked by Acoustic Guitar magazine readers and answered by Isbin in four years of Master Class columns in the magazine. This book collects all this vital information together in an easy reference format - an absolute must for every classical guitar player. Includes new appendices of resources for classical guitarists and students. 88 pages, 9 inch. x 12 inch.




20 Spanish Baroque Pieces by Gaspar Sanz Arranged for Uke


Book Description

Gaspar Sanz (1640 –1710) is the most famous baroque-period guitarist. His works are tuneful and memorable, with fiery cross-rhythms and cascading scale passages. He published three books of guitar music.The baroque guitar could be viewed as a close relative of the ukulele. Indeed, the two instruments have much in common. the smaller four-course guitar actually had the same tuning as the ukulele, for example, although it was largely double-strung.Sanz enjoyed playing scales in the campanella style, with the notes of a scale set out on different strings, sonically overlapping slightly in the style of little bells. This is a technique the ukulele excels at, and is used to good effect in these arrangements.Sanz' music for baroque guitar transfers exceptionally well to the uke, as these arrangements demonstrate. It is hoped that this repertoire will bring a refreshing addition to the repertoire of the ukulele, just as the little instrument can bring a freshness to these old but lively pieces.




Baroque Guitar Stringing


Book Description







Light Strings


Book Description

The guitar is more than a musical instrument. It is an archetype. In homage, Light Strings brings together two masters of their craft: photographer Ralph Gibson and former guitarist for the Police, Andy Summers. Gibson's enigmatic and sensuously elegant photographs are the visual counterpart to Summers' lyrical history and thoughtful exploration of the instrument's features. Together they create a unique poetic meditation on the guitar. Both artists pay attention to the form of the guitar and its relationship to the body; its curves echo the human figure, not only requiring it to be cradled to play it, but inviting a study of its own sumptuous anatomy. With over one hundred alluring images that capture the graceful details of the instrument, Light Strings is the book for every guitar player.




The Early Guitar


Book Description

CRITÈRES : Concerne la guitare et les instruments antécédants jusqu'à la fin du 18e siècle : histoire de la vihuela et des guitares (surtout ceux de 4 et 5 rangs de cordes, aussi bien qu'en comprenant un lexique d'autres instruments à cordes pincées), l'accordage de, et dispositions des cordes sur, ces instruments, les divers systèmes de tablature, le technique de toucher à ces instruments, l'ornamentation (i.e. les agréments, les broderies), la guitare comme instrument d'accompagnenemt et de continuo. Comprend des annexes bibliographiques du répertoire : Primary sources = [sources primaires et manuscrites] -- Vocal music accompanied by guitar ±alfabetol = [Musique vocal accompagnée par guitare en employant le système ±alfabetol des accords] -- 18th century vocal music accompanied by guitar = [Musique vocale du 18e siècle accompanée par guitare] -- [Some] facsimile editions of guitar tablatures = [Quelques publications en fac-similé d'éditions en tablature de guitare] -- Bibliography = [Bibliographie sur la guitare et sur des sujets connexes].




Introduction to the Lute


Book Description

This book is aimed at beginner lute and guitar players interested in playing Renaissance lute music on either instrument. Lute and guitar tablature are included, along with notes on technique, biographies of lute composers from the 16th century, and general advice on buying, stringing and tuning a lute. The book starts with single-line melodies, before progressing to two-part and full repertoire pieces. Selections include works by great Renaissance composers such as John Dowland, Francesco da Milano, Alonso Mudarra, Francesco Spinacino and others, with music from England, Scotland, Italy, France and Germany. A useful chord chart is also included. Every piece in the book has been recorded for download by Rob MacKillop--in itself, an album worth owning. Includes access to online audio.




The Early Mandolin


Book Description

The name "mandolin" was used to refer to two quite different instruments: the gut-stringed mandolino, played with the fingers, and the later metal-stringed Neapolitan mandoline, which was played with a plectrum. This is the first book devoted exclusively to these two early instruments about which information in reference books is scant and often erroneous. The authors uncover their rich and varied musical history, examining contemporary playing techniques and revealing the full extent of the instruments' individual repertories, which include works by Vivaldi, Sammartini, Stamitz, and Beethoven. The book's ultimate aim is to help today's players to produce artistically satisfying performances through an understanding of the nature and historical playing style of these unjustly neglected instruments.