To tune a lute or viol really well one must see to the exact spacing of the frets tied round the neck of the instrument. In this authoritative work Mark Lindley surveys different approaches to the problem as described from the 1520s to the 1740s by a variety of writers. Attention is given to some distinguished composers (Milán, Dowland, Monteverdi, Marais) and to some seminal figures in the early history of modern science (V. Galilei, Mersenne, Lord Brouncker) as well as to a number of encyclopaedic or didactic writers on music (Gerle, Bermudo, Ganassi, Zarlino, Praetorius). The book includes practical instructions, conclusions about renaissance and baroque performing practices, and a substantial appendix by Gerhard C. Söhne on the historical use of proportions and geometric curves in lute design.

Written for musicians by a musician, Meantone Temperaments on Lutes and Viols demystifies tuning systems by providing the basic information, historical context, and practical advice necessary to easily achieve more satisfying tuning results on fretted instruments. Despite the overwhelming organological evidence that many of the finest lutenists, vihuelists, and viola da gamba players in the Renaissance and Baroque eras tuned their instruments in one of the meantone temperaments, most modern early instrument players today still tune to equal temperament. In this handbook richly supplemented with figures, diagrams, and music examples, historical performers will discover why temperaments are necessary and how they work, descriptions of a variety of temperaments, and their application on fretted instruments. This technical book provides downloadable audio tracks and other tools for fretted instrument players to achieve more stable consonances, colorful dissonances, and harmonic progressions that vividly propel the music forward.

David Buch's informative volume is the first modern study edition and commentary dealing with almost all of the surviving French five-part scores of dance music from the ballets de cour 1575-1651. These full scores are especiall y important since most ballets from this time are preserved only in two-part readings (melody and bass). The exception here is a newly-created five-part score for the Ballet des Nations based on an original two-part setting. Also included are the six Allemandes from 1575 to ca. 1600 a Ballet cheval of 1615 a selection of miscellaneous Entres from several ballets prepared for the Concert Louis XIII par les Viollons et lest 12 Grands hautbois of 1627 and Philidor's five-part reading of seventeen Entres from the Ballet du Roy des Festes de Baccus of 1651.

The Contemporary Guitar traces the extraordinary rise of the instrument in concert music over the past century. Though recognized worldwide as a popular music icon, the all-to-recent time when the guitar was looked down upon as a second-class citizen in the world of “serious” music is finally past, and it can now be found in the scores of the most important composers. The guitar’s rightful place in chamber music, orchestral music, or as a solo instrument is now without question, whether in the classic acoustic form or the more recent electric version. While the guitar has stood in the vanguard of musical experimentation, its many new techniques and notations remain a mystery for many composers and players. In The Contemporary Guitar, musician and scholar, John Schneider explains each class of technique and illustrates them with examples. Moreover, because the guitar is easily refretted, it has also become a leading instrument in the exploration of the relatively new musical language of microtonality. In this revised and enlarged edition from the original work of three decades ago, Schneider adds a broad-ranging, entirely new chapter on the instruments, notation and repertoire with insights into the interpretation of historical works through the application of accurate contemporary tunings and temperaments. The guitar’s unique timbre—its tone color—is one of the most versatile among modern instruments, both acoustic and electric. Most players who intuitively explore the subtleties of tone color will find outlined in The Contemporary Guitar the specific principles of physics that determine these subtleties which, once mastered, permit guitarists to control more completely the expressive palette of their instrument. Designated the Rational Method of Tone Production by its author, Schneider defines in great detail the timbral characteristics of acoustic and electric instruments from theoretical, physical, and musical viewpoints. Players in search of new repertoire will find an historical survey of the literature, an exhaustive list of new music, and a multitude of techniques for bringing such music to life. The Contemporary Guitar provides audio examples online for those seeking to discover new sounds and includes the notation to perform them.