What am I hearing? (Renaissance)

I've been listening to *Spinner* lately... not only for contemporary
music but for Renaissance stuff. It's really great, and I thank
whomever it was on the list who recommended it.

One of the real "charms" for me in listening to Renaissance music is
the strings... the gambas. The main reason that the tuning seems
significantly different from modern strings.

Exactly what am I hearing here? How is the viol da gamba different
from modern-day strings in the sound of the tuning.

I'm assuming it has to do somewhat with the partial structure...

??

Thanks!

Joseph

Joe,

--- In tuning@y..., "jpehrson2" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:
> Exactly what am I hearing here? How is the viol da gamba different
> from modern-day strings in the sound of the tuning. I'm assuming it
> has to do somewhat with the partial structure...

For one thing, aren't the strings under a lot less tension? Not to
mention the fact that they are gut instead of metal.

Just a hunch.

Cheers,
Jon

hi-

gambas have tied movable frets and are usually tuned in some kind of
meantone.

Dante

> -----Original Message-----
> From: jonszanto [mailto:JSZANTO@ADNC.COM]
> Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2001 12:02 PM
> To: tuning@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [tuning] Re: What am I hearing? (Renaissance)
>
>
> Joe,
>
> --- In tuning@y..., "jpehrson2" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:
> > Exactly what am I hearing here? How is the viol da gamba different
> > from modern-day strings in the sound of the tuning. I'm assuming it
> > has to do somewhat with the partial structure...
>
> For one thing, aren't the strings under a lot less tension? Not to
> mention the fact that they are gut instead of metal.
>
> Just a hunch.
>
> Cheers,
> Jon
>
>
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--- In tuning@y..., <dante.interport@r...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_31116.html#31118

> hi-
>
> gambas have tied movable frets and are usually tuned in some kind of
> meantone.
>
> Dante
>

Hi Dante...

Well, that would account for the kind of delicious "flattening" I'm
hearing in major chords... but I'm also getting a kind of "scraping"
sound... that's wonderful to listen to, but I don't know what causes
it... Could it be the way the strings are on the bridge?? Just a
guess..

JP