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.

I have an old 11 course renaissance lute being rehabbed, and I wondered if it is possible to convert it during the rehab into a baroque lute? It’s not a one of a kind instrument, was made in the 70’s with a standard set of courses, and the extra bass extension arm, but made as a renaissance instrument. Can it be changed, rehabbed or otherwise altered to become a baroque instrument?

Any help would be appreciated. Lute is tuned to standard G Ren lute tuning (dfgcfadg). I tried following David van Oijen's guide and it sounds really out of tune but I'm not sure if that's just because I'm doing it wrong or if I'm just not used to it.

I am mostly a guitar player and I'm looking through an old manuscript from 18th century Germany. While I know that the mapping of key to difficulty is not 1:1, in general some keys might be considered more accessible or easy on some instruments than others. As I look at the keys used in this manuscript, I am wondering if some are easier than others - I see 4 in G dur (major), 1 in Ab, etc.

To help me contextualize the use of keys in this manuscript, can anyone give me some broad generalizations about which keys are usually idiomatic and easier on Baroque lute and which ones are generally not so idiomatic and easy?

So ive had my lute for a few months and ive finally gotten around to actually having time to sit around and play and I can't tune it to save my life. Every resource i find for a tuning a 8 course renaissance lute is different and no offence to any of the people making these resources but they are extremely complicated for someone who is new to all this. for example the chanterelle Ive been told my several different people to tune it to G in 440 and every time i even get close to G it feels like its ripping the head off and boop string snaps. I'm at my wits end and I have 0 clue what im doing to be honest I'm waiting on my replacement string to come in but in the meanwhile Im trying to figure out what I am doing wrong.

If i had to sum this into a question is what is the tuning like specifically not variations just course for course for what to tune each string to for general playing?

Hi all,

I've been 'lute curious' for some time now and recently saw one for sale locally. It's pretty reasonably priced, but it has no frets installed, and no visible markers for where the frets would go.

I play a number of fretted instruments and I've got a decent bit of setup knowledge - I'll know if I go and see it in-person whether it's a lemon or not - but I'm clueless about fitting new gut frets. Doing this without a guide seems like it would be incredibly difficult! Is this the case? Thanks

Anyone have one, or know something about their sound and build quality?

Anyone ever heard of or tried these? Several posts for baroque lute sales. No nothing about them.

For several years now whenever I play my lute, I have a mild lower back pain on the right side ( same side of the arm on the neck) I tried many different positions but still no success. Did someone experimented techniques or seen an Alexander's practician for this kind of problem?

I'm aware of the E-B-F#-D-A-E tuning that I can do on my guitar. Where can I find music that help me start playing early music with this tuning.

I want to try the lute some day