THE STRINGING
OF THE FIVE-COURSE GUITAR
Nicolao Doizi de Velasco (c1640)
University of Granada Ms.16972 (ca.1763)
The earliest mention of the way in which the guitar was strung refers to the four-course guitar.
Alonso Mudarra : Tres libros
de musica (Seville, 1546)
The earlier of the two vihuela books which include music for the four-course guitar. Preceding the first piece for guitar "Fantasia del primer tono" on f.xxi there is a note:
A de estar entrastado como vihuela con diez trastes a de tener bordon en la quarta.
It (the guitar) has to be fretted like the vihuela
with ten frets; it has to have a bourdon on the fourth course.
Comment: This implies that the instrument sometimes had fewer than ten frets and did not always have a low octave string on the fourth course, i.e. it had a re-entrant tuning. These are necessary to ensure an adequate compass for Mudarra’s music.
Joan Carles Amat: Guitarra española
de cinco ordenes. (1st edition,
Barcelona, 1596, no longer extant. Earliest surviving edition, Lérida, 1626.
Reprinted several times throughout the 17th and 18th centuries)
The earliest source to describe how the five-course guitar was strung and played. It mentions octave stringing on both fourth and fifth courses:
f6
- Esta guitarra española de cinco ordenes…esta compuesta de nueve cuerdas:
una en el orden primero, llamada prima, y en los demas ordenes dos, las quales
llamamos segundas, terceras, quartas, quintas. Las segundas y terceras, entre
si son en un misma voz: pero las quartas, y quintas, por hallarse en cada
orden una cuerda gruessa no son iguales de la manera que lo son las segundas,
y terceras; porque las gruessas estan una octava mas baxo de las otras cuerdas
sus compañeras.
This five-course Spanish guitar …has nine strings in
all, one on the first course, called first, and two on the other courses,
which are called seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths. The seconds and thirds
have their strings tuned in unison; but the fourths and fifths, having one
thicker string on each course, are not tuned in unison like the seconds and
thirds are, because the thicker ones are tuned an octave lower than the strings
which accompany them.
Instructions for tuning are also given, starting with the third course. This method of tuning is typical of all Spanish sources.
f6v
Primeramente tomaras las terceras, que es el orden tercero, puestas en una
misma voz, en el segundo traste, y con ellas templaras las quintas, la una
dellas que es la mas prima igual, de suerte que sean en un mismo tono y en
una voz, y la gruessa una octava mas baxa de su compañera; y tomando despues
las quintas, en el segundo traste, templaras las segundas poniendolas en una
mesma boz; despues tomaras las dichas segundas en el tercero traste, y con
ellas templaras las quartas, desta suerte, la mas prima igual, y la gruessa
una octava mas baxa que su compañera; y tomando las quartas en el segundo
traste, templaras la primera, que es el orden primero, tambien en una misma
boz, y quedara templada esta guitarra del todo.
First of all, take the thirds, that is, the third course,
tuned in unison and stopped at the second fret, and tune the fifths with them,
the thinner one in unison, and the thicker one an octave lower than its companion.
And then stopping the fifths at the second fret, tune the seconds, tuning
them in unison. Then take the seconds stopped at the third fret and tune the
fourths with them so that the thinner one is in unison, and the thicker one
an octave lower than its companion. And stopping the fourths at the second
fret, tune the first, which is the first course, in unison also. In this way
the guitar will be tuned throughout.
Comment: Amat deals only with playing strummed music and is primarily concerned with accompanying vocal music, although he also mentions the various popular dances which formed a staple part of the guitar repertoire the seventeenth century.
Nicolao
Doizi de Velasco: Nuevo modo de cifra para tañer la guitarra (Naples, c1640)
Treatise which explains how the five-course guitar can play music in three, four and five parts and realize a bass line according to the rules of harmony in the same way as the theorbo, harpsichord and organ. In this context Doizi recommends the use of bourdons on the fourth and fifth courses.
p16.…y
quando se quiera tañer con fugas no son tanpocos sus puntos que no passen
de diez y siete, termino bastante a dilatarse en qualquier fuga, y por esta
razon me parece mejor el encordarla con bordones en la quarta y quinta cuerda,
y no sin ellos, porque asi es mas sonora, y mas semejante a los puntos de
las bozes naturales. Que aun que de una, o de otra manera no se libran algunas
consonancias de las quartas en las bozes bajas, esto se puedo suplir, quando
se tañen de rasgado.
And
when one wishes to play counterpoint, the notes [of the guitar] are not so
few that they do not exceed seventeen, a range sufficient enough to encompass
any counterpoint. For this reason it seems to me better to string it with
bourdons on the fourth and fifth courses, rather than without them, because
then it is more sonorous and similar in range to that of natural voices. Whichever
way it is strung, some
chords will have fourths between the lowest voices [i.e. will be six-four
chords]. These can be made good when playing rasgado.
Comment: Doizi was of Portuguese origin. Although his book was printed in Spanish ruled Naples, he spent most of his career attached to the court in Madrid. He makes the point that when the standard chords are played rasgado or strummed, the inversions will be acceptable.
Gaspar Sanz:
Instruccion de musica sobre la guitarra española (Zaragoza, 1674)
Deals with the instrument, its technique and accompanying a bass line and includes a substantial selection of solo music. His passage on stringing is the most famous of all!
[f8],
Primer tratado p. 1 - En el encordar ay variedad, porque en Roma aquellos
Maestros solo encuerdan la guitarra con cuerdas delgadas, sin poner ningun
bordon, ni en quarta, ni en quinta. En España es al contrario, pues algunos
usan de dos bordones en la quarta y otros dos en la quinta, y a lo menos,
como de ordinario, uno en cada orden. Estos dos modos de encordar son buenos,
pero para diversos efectos, porque el que quiere tañer guitarra para hazer
musica ruidosa, ò acompañarse el baxo con algun tono, ò sonada, es mejor con
bordones la guitarra, que sin ellos; pero si alguno quiera puntear con primor,
y dulçura, y usar de las campanelas, que es el modo moderno con que aora se
compone, no salen bien los bordones, sino solo cuerdas delgadas, assi en las
quartas, como en las quintas, como tengo grande experiencia; y es la razon,
porque para hazer los trinos y estrasinos y demas galanterias de mano izquierda,
si ay bordon impide, por ser la una cuerda gruessa, y la otra delgada, y no
poder la mano pissar con igualidad, y sujetar tambien una cuerda recia, como
dos delgadas; y a mas desto, que con bordones, si hazes la letra, o punto
E, que es Delasolre, en la musica sale la quinta vacante en quarta baxo, y
confunde el principal baxo, y le dà algo de imperfeccion, conforme el contrapunto
enseña; y assi puedes escoger el modo que te gustare de los dos, segun para
el fin que tañeres.
In stringing there is variety, because in Rome musicians
string the guitar only with thin strings, without a bourdon on either the
fourth or fifth course. In Spain the opposite is the case, since some use
two bourdons on the fourth course and another two on the fifth, and at least,
as is usual, one on each course. These two methods of stringing are good,
but for different effects. For those who wish to use the guitar to play noisy
music, or to accompany the bass line of any dance tune or sonata, the guitar
is better strung with bourdons than without them. If anyone wishes to play
with skill and sweetness, and to use campanelas, which is now the modern way
of composing, bourdons do not sound as well as do only thin strings on both
the fourths and fifths, of which method I have had much experience. This is
the reason - when making trills, slurs and other ornaments with the left hand,
the bourdon interferes with them because it is a thick string and the other
is thin, and therefore the hand cannot stop them evenly, and hold down the
thick string as easily as two thin strings. Furthermore, with a bourdon, if
you play the letter or chord of E, which is D lasolre [i.e. the chord of D
minor], the open fifth course sounds a fourth below the root of the chord
and confuses the proper bass, giving the music some imperfection, as the rules
of counterpoint demonstrate. Thus, you may choose whichever of the two pleases
you, according to the purpose for which you are playing.
Comment: The crucial phrase "Algunos usan de dos bordones en la quarta, y otros dos en la quinta" was wrongly translated as "Some use two bourdons on the fourth course and others two on the fifth" by Sylvia Murphy in her article "The tuning of the five-course guitar" in Galpin Society Journal, XXIII, August, 1970, p.49-63. The correct translation is as underlined above. The two versions imply something different. The mistranslation implies two separate tunings, one with two bourdons on the fourth course - but not on the fifth, and the other with two bourdons on the fifth course - but not on the fourth. The correct translation indicates either double bourdons on both the fourth and fifth courses, or one on each course accompanied by an upper octave string (either AA dd or aA d'd). Several people have derived unlikely stringing arrangements from it.
Sanz visited Naples and Rome probably between 1667 and 1672. His comments are based on his observation of what players whom he met in Rome did, and he is comparing this with his experiences in Spain. He is not comparing practices in Rome with those elsewhere in Italy and his comments do not imply that use of the re-entrant tuning was confined to Rome. His reference to noisy music (musica ruidosa) is usually taken to mean strummed music.
Sanz says that the re-entrant tuning is best for the "modern way of composing". The reason which he give for this is that it is difficult to stop a thick and thin string evenly when playing campanelas and making trills, slurs and other ornaments with the left hand, and that bourdons do not sound as well as do only thin strings on both the fourths and fifths when playing this style of music.
Lucas
Ruiz de Ribayaz: Luz y norte musical. (Madrid, 1677)
Treatise which includes chapters on the guitar, the harp and musical theory. The book also includes music in tablature for guitar and harp (separately). Tuning instructions mention bourdons.
p11
- Tiene su principio el templar la guitarra en las terceras, las quales se
ajustan de suerte que heridas ambas a dos juntas parezca que son en el sonido
uno. En estando acordes, y con dicha igualidad, se pisan dichas terceras en
segundo trastes, y conforme al sonido que tienen, despues de pisadas en segundo
traste, se pone la mas delgada de las quintas (que ordinariamente suele ser
la mas alta) y en estando ajustada dicha quinta, se pone la conpañera, octava
abaxo con ella, porque es un bordon……En estando ajustadas las segundas, se
han de pisar en tercer traste, y conforme tuvieren el sonido pisandas en dicho
traste, se ha de poner la mas delgada de las quartas (que tambien suele ser
la mas alta) y despues se ajusta con ella la compañera, que es un bordon,
octava abaxo.
The tuning of the guitar begins with the third course,
which is adjusted in such a way that…the two [strings] together sound the
same note. And these being tuned in unison, the third course is stopped at
the second fret, and the thinner string of the fifth course (which is usually
the highest [i.e. on the instrument as held in playing position]) sounds the
same as the strings of the third course stopped at the second fret; and the
said string of the fifth course being tuned, its companion is tuned an octave
lower than it, because it is a bourdon……….. The second course being tuned,
it must be stopped at the third fret, and the thinner of the fourths (which
is also usually the highest) is tuned in unison with [the note on the second
course]; and then its partner, which is a bourdon, is tuned an octave lower.
Comments: This is the only 17th century source to mention explicitly that the bourdons were usually placed on the treble side of the course.
Francesco
Guerau: Poema harmonico. (Madrid, 1694)
Music for guitar. Tuning instructions are not given but the use of bourdons on both courses is implied in the discussion of right-hand techniques.
p.5
- Que la glossa que hizieres con el dedo indice, y largo, ha de ser alternandolos;
…observando, que si glossas de la prima abaxo, ha de ser con estos dedos,
hasta la quarta; y della abaxo con el pulgar, dando con èl todos los golpes;
y si glossas de los bordones àzia arriba, ha de ser con el pulgar,
hasta la segunda; y della arriba con el indice, y largo.
When you play runs with the index and middle fingers,
you must use them alternately…..If you play from the first course downwards,
it must be with these two fingers as far as the fourth course, and from there
on downwards only with the thumb; and if you play from the bourdons upwards,
you must play with the thumb up to the second course, and from there upwards
with the middle and index fingers.
Pablo Nassarre:
Escuela musica. (Zaragoza, 1724)
A monumental work in two volumes dealing with musical theory. The last seven chapters of Volume 1 deal with instruments, and Chapter 15 describes the six- and seven-course vihuela and the five-course guitar.
Vol.
1, Book 4,Chapter 15, p.463 - La guitarra española, que es de cinco ordenes,
aunque tambien han variado algunos el temple, no obstante ha sido mas permanente
el que comunmente se usa, y es este. La quinta, èsta segunda arriba de las
terceras, la quarta, quinta arriba, ò quarto abaxo; la segunda tercera arriba,
y la prima, quarta arriba de la segunda, que es sexta de las terceras.
Although the five-course Spanish guitar has various
tunings, the one which is most commonly used and has been the most permanent
is as follows: the fifth course is a second above the third course, the fourth
course a fifth above or a fourth below [the third course], the second a third
[above the third course], and the first a fourth above the second course,
or a sixth above the third course.
Comment: Although the wording is ambiguous, Nassarre seems to be saying that only the fourth course is tuned to an octave.
He does however also refer to the guitar as having bourdons on both the fourth and fifth courses in a passage where he discusses the mathematical ratios between the thickness of the strings.
p.401
De la tercera à la quarta se halla la consonancia de quinta, que es de la
proporcion sexquialtera…Hablo de la cuerda delgada, porque como se pone doble
la que està octava abaxo, ha de estar en proporcion dupla, y con la tercera
en proporcion sexquitercia, que es 4 à 3. La quinta cuerda, en dicho Instrumento
tambien se pone doble, octava abaxo; pero proporcionando la delgada, se halla
una segunda de tono mas alta, que la tercera, el qual intervalo es de la proporcion
sexquioctava, que se halla de 9 à 8.Y la misma proporcion se ha de guardar
en la gruessez…
There is the interval of a fifth from the third course
to the fourth which is in the proporcion [ratio] sexquialtera………..I am speaking
of the thin string, because as this is doubled, the string which is an octave
lower has to be in duple proporcion, and with the third course in proporcion
sexquitercia, which is 4 to 3. The fifth course of this instrument is also
doubled an octave below. But measuring the thin string, it is a second higher
than the third course, which interval is in the proporcion sexquioctava, which
is found from 9 to 8. And the same proporcion must be observed for the thicker
one.
Pablo Minguet
y Irol: Reglas y advertencias generales. (Madrid, 1752)
Comment: The sections dealing with the guitar in Minguet y Irol's "Reglas y advertencias" (1752) are made up of extracts from Amat, Sanz, Ruiz de Ribayaz and Murcia. Although Sanz's comments on stringing are reproduced verbatim, the tuning instructions are taken from Amat's "Guitarra española". Sanz's comment about "guitarists in Rome" has been changed to "guitarists in Italy"
University
of Granada Ms.16972 "Suma primoroso de la guitara" (c.1763)
Manuscript which combines excerpts from Sanz's "Instruccion de musica" with the whole of the section on accompanying a bass line from Santiago de Murcia's "Resumen de acompañar". At the end of the manuscript there is a note on the tuning of the guitar which implies bourdons on fourth and fifth courses.
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