Re: A meantone guitar design

Hi there,

sorry to have been out so long time. I've been reading many posts though,
but simply was too busy ( teaching, many concerts) to have time to be an
active member.

Dave Keenan, your design of the 12-of-meantone guitar is very interesting.
The tuning of the open strings ( D-F#-B-d-f#-b) is precisely a tranposition
(and inversement: the sixth string has to be on top) of the 'Baroque' tuning
for the lute, which is A-d-f-a-d'-f'. This means that the whole repertory
for this instrument, which is enormous and includes several works by
J.S.Bach, can be played in quarter comma meantone (from Gb to B), just by
setting the frets as you indicated. Since frets on a Baroque lute are
traditionally moveable this shouldn't give a problem. I wonder if Baroque
lutenists know about this possibility.

-Wim Hoogewerf

--- In tuning@y..., "Wim Hoogewerf" <wim.hoogewerf@f...> wrote:
> Dave Keenan, your design of the 12-of-meantone guitar is very
interesting.
> The tuning of the open strings ( D-F#-B-d-f#-b) is precisely a
tranposition
> (and inversement: the sixth string has to be on top) of the
'Baroque' tuning
> for the lute, which is A-d-f-a-d'-f'. This means that the whole
repertory
> for this instrument, which is enormous and includes several works by
> J.S.Bach, can be played in quarter comma meantone (from Gb to B),
just by
> setting the frets as you indicated. Since frets on a Baroque lute
are
> traditionally moveable this shouldn't give a problem.

Thanks for that Wim. This gives me more confidence that I'm on the
right track with my design criteria.

> I wonder if Baroque
> lutenists know about this possibility.

I wouldn't be surprised.

Regards,
-- Dave Keenan