The pegs are used to tune the different courses (sets of strings). Since there are more strings on a lute than on a guitar, there are also more pegs. The frets help you play specific chords and notes according to the sheet music.
The round portion of the lute is known as the bowl, while the flat section is known as the soundboard, table, or top. Most lutes have a beautiful wood carving in the center of the instrument, which is known as a rose or rosette. Excluding the chanterelle, a 6-course lute will have 12 total strings paired into groups of six. An 8-course lute will have 16 total strings paired into groups of 8. Count the individual strings to confirm what kind of lute you have.
Cleartune is a great mobile tuning option for iOS and Android phones.
You can purchase a strap online. You never have to attach the loose end of the strap to any part of the instrument, as it’s not designed to carry your lute. You don’t have to use a strap, but it might help you get the hang of holding your lute properly. For more detailed information on how professional lute players set up their instrumental strap, check page 9 of this resource: https://lutesocietyofamerica. org/wp-content/uploads/for-public/Beginners-Guide-Final. pdf
Similar to the guitar, lute fingerings are typically designed to be done in a certain position, regardless of your dominant hand. Your left hand will be determining the notes and chords for the instrument, while your right hand will be producing the actual sound.
Try to practice keeping your left hand in a curved position. Once this becomes a habit, you’ll have a much easier time maneuvering around the lute.
If you pluck the upper string with enough force, you might cause the other course string to vibrate as well. This is perfectly fine!
Practice alternating with your right thumb and index finger to produce sound from your lute. While complex lute music will likely require you to use many more fingers, start off slow by practicing with just your thumb and index finger. [10] X Research source
Original composers didn’t include the letter J because they didn’t want musicians mixing it up with the “I” fret. [13] X Research source If the letter “A” is specified in the sheet music, play an open chord without your left hand pressing down on the strings.
For instance, if the first measure of a song has the letter “B” on the far left course, place your index finger on this course, centering it in the first fret from the top of the lute’s neck.
Strum all the strings with your right hand to get a resonating C-chord. Lutes don’t typically follow the same chord system as guitars. Instead, the notes in a chord will be specified using alphabetic notation on the French tablature.
Since lute music is so lyrical and expressive, you don’t always have to worry about holding out notes for an exact amount of time. Instead, use these indicators to figure out the rhythm of the song. In lute music, whole notes are also known as semibreves. Remember: sheet music displays the notes and chords within a song. A tablature style simply helps you to decipher the exact notes and chords that you need to play.
On some lute music sheets, these notes might be referred to as minims.
Quarter notes are also known as crotchets. If you’re familiar with regular music notation, this note system might be confusing. In lute music, always remember that a note with 2 flags is a quarter note, not a sixteenth note.
These notes are known as quavers and semiquavers in traditional lute music.
