Hello!

My partner and I were looking to learn an instrument to play at Ren Faire next year. He chose the Lute, but I am struggling finding another handheld item that pairs well with the Lute. I was looking into a small harp but I was reading that small versions of harps are to big to carry around and play easily. I am open to any suggestions :)

Thanks!

Hello!

First time posting like ever, but to make a long story short, I’ve wanted to play the Lute for close to two years now and I’ve been lurking on this subreddit for several months, reading and rereading dozens of relevant posts for my problem, but still have a lingering worry.

I’m a broke college student and -of course, I’d want to play the more expensive Baroque Lute. Embarrassingly, I don’t have any prior experience with any musical instrument, not that it’s unheard of, but it’s a tough position when I don’t have much to spend.

I’m truly starting from square one.

I guess my question is: Would it even be worthwhile to try and buy a Baroque Lute? Should I buy a beginner 8c Renaissance Lute for a couple hundred and learn that first (excusing the G tuning and thumb position) or should I just let the dream go?

I know how fundamental it is to have a teacher in the beginning, and I’d be willing to pay (if they even teach people with no experience in anything) but that, on top of a minimum $3,000 instrument, it just might be too much.

Living in the US, I’ll most likely not find an old Lute sitting in the attic or in a random music store sadly, and I don’t think there’s such thing as an inexpensive Lute here. I’ve looked on the LSA rental website and if I’ve read their page and application form correctly, I don’t think they’d rent to someone like me.

What would y’all think I should do? I’ve never wanted to do anything this intensely before, so any advice would be appreciated immensely!

(Also sorry for the wall of text!)

Hello all, looking for any suggestions on luthiers who build theorbos. The internet returns are somewhat limited so hoping someone here has some experience going down this rabbit hole. Looking for US builders only, thanks!

Hi! Im writing this post to ask you Lute players about transitioning from guitar. Im a decent guitar player, though i still got a long way to go and im not giving up the guitar but lately i've been more and more interested in picking up the lute and I'm curious on how should i do it. I've seen lute guitars in Thomann, which will make the different tuning problem and relearning chords/scales problem non existent, but I dont know if that will get the sound that i want. Should i go for a lute guitar at first to get going or should i just jump in full to a renaissance/baroque lute? Thank you!

Hi! I'm looking into getting a lute, and I thought this one from musikkon looks very good, and is within a reasonable price range:

https://www.muzikkon.com/en-gb/products/muzikkon-renaissance-lute-deluxe-6-course-after-hieber-right-handed?variant=50194794086689

Does anyone here have any experience with musikkon, or any advice that you could give regarding finding instruments? Thanks a lot!

Hi everybody, I'm an Italian lute player. So, a friend of mine told me I should join some theatre or agency (I don't know if this word exist in english, but I mean "agenzie teatrali")'s orchestra, but here is the question: Do some theatre or similar that accepts/needs lute exist? (As I've found some, but they don't include lute players) And if they do, do you know some that are in northern Italy? Another question I have in mind is if I find one, how does someone join it? should I go to contact and call them? reach their hq? Also, if you're wondering, I won't be able to reach this friend for a while to ask her more. Thank you all for answering.

I picked up this beauty at the Texas Ren-fair. I love it but I'm having a hard time finding resources to learn about lutes. I don't even know what kind of lute it is exactly. I tried tuning it like a 12 string guitar, but broke a string, and I don't know what strings to get. I checked out the lute society of America, but didn't get much help there, or just didn't understand what they were talking about. I need resources for an absolute beginner, though I have been teaching myself guitar for a couple of years. Thank you!!!

Hello all -- see title.

I'm about to walk a fine line between getting bogged down with technique and staying motivated, but so far learning the lute (renaissance) has been a blast.

I'm a couple weeks in and learning from the Tree Edition renaissance lute method by Stefan Lundgren.

Having not gained any proficiency on any plucked string instruments before, I'm really sweating my position and technique. I'm not too worried about 'bad habits' yet making things difficult, I'm more worried about doing things blatantly incorrectly such that I won't later notice when I've made things impossible for myself. That might sound like the same thing. Maybe it is, I don't know.

Anyway, I want to share some self-observations and see if you find anything jarring. I'd appreciate your corrections and nuanced tips.

Position

• I am using a strap -- some generic guitar strap with a string loop at the end. I have the string caught around the middle of the peg box.
• The body / back of the lute is centered on/above my stomach. It takes my right arm supporting it a bit to keep it there -- the use of the strap in conjunction with the bowled back makes it want to slip to my right.
• I'm naturally lifting the neck up farther than I think it should be (~35°) -- it feels a bit better when I keep it down near ~20° - ~15°, but this takes some effort, just like keeping the lute relatively centered.
• As for the upward-tilt (to support the little finger), I think I'm fine there.
• Mostly the strap and my right arm are keeping the lute where it feels like it should be. It does seem to help a bit if I rest it on my crossed right leg, or stand on the toes of the right leg (while sitting).

RH

• I'm trying to use good what-I-understand-as thumb-under technique.
• My right arm seems to prefer to come 'over' the top of the lute, rather than being utterly parallel to the strings. This is more like a 15° point-down approach from the bottom. Is it necessary to have the hand literally parallel, e.g. approaching from the tie block?
• If I place my little finger just before the rose and pluck, that is, move my fingers from the joints, I get a good sound. If I place it farther down -- more halfway between the rose and tie block, I can't do this at all -- my fingers just slip on the strings.
  • But, if I place it in the halfway position and keep my plucking fingers relatively motionless, and allow the swing of my arm/elbow to cause my fingers to skip like a stone across the strings (I guess, as though I were using a plectrum), this sounds fine, but doesn't seem especially dexterous. I'm much more able to keep my hand precisely parallel when doing this, but it doesn't seem correct.
  • In other words, I'm uncertain how 'parallel' I should be, and how much I should be using my finger joints vs my arm, especially when playing single-note melodies as I am now. I imagine this won't work later when using the thumb to sound chords since it moves in the opposite direction of the fingers.
• In either case, I'm trying to keep my little finger planted wherever it is I plant it. When I'm playing on the chanterelle, it seems too close to the strings, if I'm going to use that same position to play e.g. on the 6th course.
• Re: plucking, if I were to stick out my hand with my palm away from me (like "halt" gesture), the left corner of the thumb strikes, or the right corner of the other fingers.

LH

• I'm trying to keep my wrist straight, elbow perpendicular to the ground, and shoulder relaxed at all times.
• I'm trying to keep my fingertips perpendicular to the neck when fretting. On the chanterelle this means my finger joints are very, very curved. At least as compared with the 2nd or 3rd course (I guess it's technically the 1st actual course, unless the chanterelle is a course of 1 string? Let me know if I can clarify).
  • In doing this, I'm able to sound / let-ring consecutive courses from the 5th and above, but not between the 6th and 5th. I have to bend my wrist to be able to do that, even with my palm touching the neck. I don't have small hands, either.
  • Generally speaking, it's really difficult not to bend my wrist (flexion) if I'm trying to sound any consecutive strings.
• Which part of my thumb should touch the neck seems to be a difficult question to answer. My hand is C-shaped on the chanterelle and open-box-shaped (flat thumb) on the lowest course. I tend to keep the thumb between the first and second fingers. Is it ever OK to bend the wrist in such a way?

Thanks for reading. I know this might seem overmuch for a beginner. I know I should ideally take lessons. Just doing the best with the resources I have for now, and unfortunately, between my book, recorded public lessons, and other sources, there doesn't seem to be a consensus on "Well -- just do this starting out".

Looking forward to shredding Dowland and Vallet with you.

I’m looking to learn some of the Witcher 3 soundtrack on lute as it’s one of my favorite games, but I am having a rough go of it finding any tablature. Anyone know where to find some? Any other video game soundtrack or similar tonality is good too.

I have played piano in the past and have a theoretical basis, although not excellent. Piano was a forced choice so I did not study music as I should have. Now I would like to learn to play the lute, which has fascinated me for a long time and is much more consistent with my musical tastes.Problem: I am an adult and I am starting from scratch with string instruments.

Be honest: do I have any hope?

Pretty much what the title says. If you have suggestions on what to start on as a beginner then I will be happy to hear them.

The size of the instrument got me thinking about that. How does it compare with a modern clasical guitar (Lattice, double tops) regarding volume and projection?

Hi!
I want to start playing the lute, but I'm a bit of an oddball – I don’t like the metallic smell of strings :D. Is it possible to play only on synthetic strings? Or are there any other types that don’t have that smell?

Hello. I started researching the lute not long ago, I've never been interested in playing the guitar or any other instrument until now. The lute sounded so nice to my ears, and the historical context of it is also very fascinating. That being said, i have never played an instrument, and the prospect of jumping straight into something as niche is daunting.

I've read that you can tune a classical guitar to sound like a lute, and i would like to know your opinion on that. It would be lovely since the instrument is way out of my current budget and i'm not sure if i will pursue it.

I also have no understanding of music theory, I'd appreciate it if you could point me some resources.

I would also like to know your opinion on the lute not only as a first instrument, but one i would be learning without a mentor.

Hi, I am 19 and want to learn so bad, what steps do I take to learn?

Hello, I found the theorbo tablature for that piece here,

https://imslp.org/wiki/Intavolatura_di_chitarone%2C_Libro_4_(Kapsperger%2C_Giovanni_Girolamo)

it's in part 2 at the end. I'm trying to arrange it to sheet music as I play classical guitar and I'm using this chart to learn theorbo tablature,

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Tuning-tior.png

My question is, is Colasione's tablature reversed or is Wikipedia wrong and that's how it should be?

The inside of a German Archlute from 1974. Photographed with a medical arthroscope. Part of my Architecture In Music collection.

I'm looking for the name (and preferably a recording) of a German lute + voice piece from the 14/15/1600s. I believe it was titled along the lines of 'how to kiss' and had lines such as 'nicht zu langsam, nicht zu schnell', 'nicht zu trocken, nicht zu nass'. Any help is appreciated!

I was looking to build a lute from scratch and I’m just confused on how to start

Lute noob here. My girlfriend bought me the Thomann Renaissance 7C lute for my birthday. I'm an experienced guitar player and loving the lute so far.

My only problem is that the strings unwind completely when I'm tuning it. Do I need new pegs or is this normal? Also the 1st course g broke so that one is on the way.

I have been interested in the lute for a very long time and have decided to start learning, but quickly realized I'd have to save up for a bit before I could afford an instrument and even then it will be a couple months before it's in hand. in the meantime I've been playing a classical guitar with the third string tuned down and using Diana Poulton's method book. My question is, would it be worth getting a teacher even when I don't have an instrument? I have some small experience with guitar, I have a music ed degree and took a 1 semester class on it, but obviously none with lute. I find myself having to do long google searches about things like thumb in or out (I gather it's thumb in for lute and that refers to your thumb being inside your hand when plucking strings?). is this something that's done or would a teacher just ask me to come back when I have an instrument. Or conversely would it be more helpful to take some guitar lessons and just let the teacher know what my goals are? I'm a bassoon teacher and I can't imagine someone showing up to lessons with a clarinet. Thanks for your help!

Is anyone familiar with this manuscript? I stumbled across the "La mallassis, Sarabande" and I believe it's in F minor, but when I tune my baroque lute to typical F Minor (f,d,a,f,d,A,G,F,Eb,D,C,Bb,A) it just sounds completely wrong. I have my lute tuned to 392 and know most/all the recordings I've seen/heard all sound tuned to 415, but the intervals just sound completely off, not just being a semitone lower.

The only version I can find located on IMSLP has a forward, but it's in French so I'm not able to read it and unfortunately I suspect it describes how to tune to play it. Can anyone help with the correct tuning?

https://vmirror.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/2/22/IMSLP549188-PMLP886378-F-Pieces-de-Luth-Livre-1-Charles-Mouton.pdf

The single high G string on my lute keeps breaking after a short while. It usually happens when I'm not playing the instrument, it suddenly just breaks. I put a new string on like 1-2 weeks ago, and it broke last night. Am I doing something wrong, or is this just a part of the life as a lutenist?

I am using a 0.550 nylon Pyramid string.