Directory of Early Guitars Resources

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• The Vihuela (16th century Spain) - quite large, with 12 strings in 6 courses.
• The Renaissance guitar (16th century France and Italy) - generally plain looking, about the size of the modern ukelele, with 7 strings in 4 courses (the highest string was a single).
• The Baroque guitar (17th and 18th centuries) - still much smaller than the modern classical instrument, usually very ornate, with 9 strings in five courses (the highest string being a single).

All were easily recognisable as guitars, with the typical waisted body; some were flat-backed, others had vaulted backs. Their repertoire was written in various forms of tablature, and was quite different from the contemporary guitar repertoire, being much closer to lute music. "Lutes which looked like guitars, or guitars which played lute music?"

Subcategories

• Guitarists

Resources in This Category

• A manuscript found in Oporto

  http://polyhymnion.org/adc/index-eng.html
  Preserved in Galvao-Kristófcsák Foundation of Lagos, in Algarve, Portugal, it is a unique, anonymous collection of works for five course Baroque guitar.

• Baroque Guitar for the Modern Performer

  http://guitar.canzona.com/baroque.shtml
  An article exploring the differences between the baroque and modern classical instrument, their respective repertoires, and adapting the older music for the modern instrument.

• Guide to Early Instruments :: The Guitar and Vihuela

  http://www.diabolus.org/guide/guitar.htm
  Describes and traces the development of early members of the guitar family.

• Instructions for the Baroque Guitar

  http://www.lutesoc.co.uk/baroqueguitar.htm
  Three translations of contemporary guidance for Baroque guitar players, covering tuning, tablature, and stringing.

• Monica Hall Baroque Guitar Research

  http://www.monicahall.co.uk/
  Pieces by Corbetta from Castillion's Liege Manuscript and five course guitar stringing.

• Sixteenth-Century Printed Tablatures

  http://www.library.appstate.edu/music/lute/home.html
  An annotated bibliography of tablature written for the lute, vihuela, early guitar, cittern, bandora, mandora, and orpharion; arranged chronologically and by composer.

• The Baroque Guitar :: Printed Music from 1606-1737

  http://www.library.appstate.edu/music/guitar/home.html
  Dr Gary Boyes' research into playing styles and repertoire for the Baroque guitar, with an explanation of tablature used in the period.

• The Guitar in England

  http://www.standingstones.com/engguit.html
  Excerpts from "The Early Guitar: A History and Handbook" (James Tyler, OUP, 1980), describing the development of the vihuela, Renaissance and Baroque, and English guitars, with comments on tunings and playing techniques.

• The Lute Ring

  http://www.webring.org/hub?ring=luteandearlyguit
  A webring for sites related to lutes and early guitars.

Related Categories

• Home > Arts > Music > Styles > E > Early Music > Instruments > Lute
• Home > Arts > Music > Instruments > Stringed > Guitar > Classical

 

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