THE STRINGING
OF THE 5-COURSE GUITAR
Ferdinando Valdambrini (1646/47)
Antonio Stradivarius (ca.1700)
F:Pn.Rés.Vmc
ms. 59, fol. 108v
Many Italian guitar books include tuning instructions, but only three clearly mention the way in which the instrument was strung - Montesardo, Sanseverino and Valdambrini.
Girolamo
Montesardo: Nuova inventione d'intavolatura. (Florence, 1606)
The first book of its kind to be printed in Italy, Montesardo's book includes music to be strummed in alfabeto. Tuning instructions mention bourdons.
Regola
per accordare la chitarra
Prima, e principalmente volendo ben'accordare la chitarra spagnuola, bisogna metter il cordone di sopra in un tono basso conveniente, come fondamento della consonanza dell'altre corde, i poi accordar il suo canto vicino à lui un'ottava alto: le quali ambe due corde insieme si chiameranno quinte.
Appresso poi tirarete, il secondo cordone, un quarta più alto del primo essendo vuoto, (come si dice) & accordar il suo canto all'ottava alto del cordone, le quali corde ambidue si chiameranno quarte,
dopò accordate bene queste, tirate l'altra corda, chiamata terza anco una quarta più alta, & la compagna unitela, nell'unisono:
dopò volendo accordare la seconda, tiratela una terza maggiore più alta, & unite insieme la sua compagna:
Ultimamente
accordarete la prima, ò canto, come lo volete chiamare, tirandola una quarta
più alta, e sarà bene accordato il vostro istrumento.
First of all if you wish to tune the Spanish guitar well it is necessary to tune the uppermost string to a convenient bass note, as the foundation of the notes of the other strings, and afterwards tune its accompanying canto an octave higher: these two strings together are called fifth.
Then tune the second string unstopped a fourth higher than the first and tune its canto to the higher octave of that string: these two strings together are called fourth.
Then these being well tuned, tune the next string, called the third, also a fourth higher and its companion in the unison with it.
Then if you want to tune the second, tune it a major third higher, and its companion in unison.
Finally tune the first, or canto, as it is called,
tuning it a fourth higher, and your instrument will be well tuned.
Comments: Montesardo refers to the two lowest courses both as first and second and as fifth and fourth. The courses are sometimes referred to in reverse order in Italian sources.
Benedetto
Sanseverino: Il primo libro d'intavolatura. (Milan, 1622)
Collection
of strummed music in alfabeto. Tuning
instructions mention bourdons.
Modo
d'accordare le Chitarra alla spagnuola
(p.vii) La chitarra vuol'havere cinque ordine accompagnati à due corde per ordinge eccetto il cantino……
Il quinto ordine detto il Basso haverà un cantino di sopra accompagnato con una corda più grossa, che venghino à far ottava tutte due insieme, tirandole à voce corista, come si usa nelli altri strumenti, overo à voce proportionata secondo la grandezza della chitarra.
Il quarto ordine parimente vuol havere un cantino accompagnato con il suo basso, che facciano ottava tutte due insieme come di sopra, l'incordarete con il quinto ordine, tirandole quattro voci più alte del quinto ordine, che mettendo il deto sopra il secondo tasto farà quinta con il basso, overo toccando il quinto tasto del quinto ordine faranno unison tutti duoi li ordini.
Il terzo ordine faranno due corde accompagnate insieme d'una sola voce al unisono, tirandole quartri voce più alte del quarto ordine, che mettendo il deto sopra il secondo tasta, farà ottava con il quinto ordine voto.
Il secondo ordine, faranno due corde parimente d'una sola voce al unisono come sopra, tirandole tre voci più alte del sodetto terzo ordine, che mettendo il deto sopra il terza tasto farò ottava con la corda grossa del quarto ordine, e unisono con suo cantino.
Il
cantino primo ordine solo, l'accordarete quattro voci più alte del sodetto
secondo ordine, che mettendo il deto sopra il terzo tasto faccia ottava conil
terzo ordine voto.
Method of tuning the Spanish guitar
The guitar has five courses of strings comprising two strings for each course except the cantino
The fifth course known as the bass has an upper cantino accompanied by a thicker string, which two together make an octave, striking them together, as is usual in other instruments, tuned to a note which is appropriate for the size of the guitar.
The fourth course likewise has a cantino accompanied by its bass, which two together make an octave like the above, tuning it with the fifth course, striking it a fourth higher than the fifth course, which putting the said above at the second fret makes a fifth with the bass, or stopping the fifth fret of the fifth course all together makes a unison
The third course has two strings which together sound a single note in unison, tuned a fourth above the fourth course, so that when it is stopped at the second fret it will make an octave with the open fifth course.
The second course also has two string which likewise sound a single note in unison as above, tuned a third above the said third course, so that when it is stopped at the third fret it will make an octave with the thicker string of the fourth course, and a unison with its cantino.
The cantino, the single first course, is tuned a fourth
above the said second course, so that when it is stopped at the third fret,
it will make an octave with the open third course.
Comments: Sanseverino also gives the tuning in staff notation using the bass clef with d' for the first course. The upper octave strings are not shown.
Ferdinando
Valdambrini: Libro primo d'intavolatura di chitarra (Rome, 1646); Libro secondo
(Rome, 1647)
Two large collections of music in mixed tablature. In “Libro primo” Valdambrini includes two tuning checks, given in both Italian and French tablature. In the first the intervals are identified as unisons, and in the second as octaves. These imply a re-entrant tuning.
ILLUSTRATION 1 - VALDAMBRINI'S TUNING CHECKS
In the introduction to the 1647 book he says the instrument has no basses
Benche
questo istromento non habbia I bassi come gl'altri con tutto cio si vede ch'è
atto ad imitare tutto quello ch'è conduceule alli affetti. La vaghezza e perfetione
consisteno nelle variationi de stili perche havendo il detto poche corde differenti
un solo stile, ò riesco mancheuole, ò tedioso. Il sonarlo bene consiste più
in destrezza che in rigore, perche volendovi andare con rigore di musica ò
si darà in asprezze, overo in seccaggini per la ragioni su detta.
Although this instrument does not have basses like
the others, nevertheless one can see that it is capable of imitating everything
which is conducive to the affections. Its charm and perfection consist in
variations of style, because having so few different strings, a single style
would run the risk of defectiveness or tediousness. Sounding well consists
more in dexterity than in rules, because trying to observe the rules of music
results either in harshness or in tedium for the aforesaid reason.
Unlike Spanish sources, which always begin with the third course, both Montesardo and Sanseverino begin their tuning instructions with the fifth course, and work upwards according to the intervals between the strings. Many other Italian books include what is really a method for checking whether the intervals between the strings are true (a "tuning check"). None of these clearly mention the octave stringing. Millioni's are typical:
Pietro Millioni:
Quarto libro d'intavolatura…(Rome, 1627)
Millioni's original instructions start off by comparing the fifth course to the third
p.7 La quinta và accordata con la terza tastandola al secondo tasto.
The fifth course is tuned with the third course stopped at the second fret.
This implies that the third course is to be tuned first; the fifth course is then tuned in unison with it. No mention is made of a low octave string on the fifth course. In later editions of his book and most other sources this sentence is altered so that the instructions start with the fifth course as follows;
p.7 - La quinta si puole accordare a suo piacere.
La quarta si deve accordare con la quinta tastata al quinto tasto a voce eguale.
La terza si deve accordare con la quarta tastata al quinto tasto a voce eguale.
La seconda si deve accordare con la terza tastata al quarto tasto a voce eguale.
La prima si deve accordare con la seconda tastata al quinto tasto a voce eguale.
Quando
si è accordata in questa maniera, si deve poi toccare la prima tastandola
al terzo tasto con la terza vota.
The fifth may be tuned as you wish.
The fourth must be tuned to the same note as the fifth stopped at the fifth fret.
The third must be tuned to the same note as the fourth stopped at the fifth fret.
The second must be tuned to the same note as the third stopped at the fourth fret.
The first must be tuned to the same note as the second stopped at the fifth fret.
When it is tuned in this manner it should be possible
to play the first course stopped at the third fret with the open third course.
These are often illustrated in tablature –
ILLUSTRATION
2 - STANDARD ITALIAN TUNING CHECK
Comment:
Neither of these clearly indicates how the fourth and fifth courses are to be strung. Taken literally, i.e. assuming that all the intervals are to be read as unisons, they suggest that the fourth and fifth courses are to be tuned in unison in the lower octave. This may sometimes have been the case for entirely strummed music (as Sanz implies) but would be unsatisfactory for later music in mixed style where the fourth and fifth courses are used as treble strings.
It
has been suggested that because with the re-entrant tuning the fourth course
stopped at the fifth fret will sound an octave above the third course rather
than in unison with it, these and other similar tuning instructions can only
refer to an instrument with octave stringing on both the fourth and fifth
courses. This is not self evident. No
clear distinction is made between unisons and octaves
in these or many other tuning checks found in Italian sources. None
of them mention that the strings of the two lowest courses are to be tuned
in octaves. Players who did use octave strings on the fourth and fifth courses would have understood how these were to be tuned.
Those who didn’t would have been aware that there was an octave rather
than a unison between the fourth and third courses when tuning in this way.
This tablature tuning check is also used by Corbetta, Granata and others to indicate the different pattern of intervals between the courses required for their scordatura pieces. One would expect them to choose the method traditionally used in Italy for this purpose, but this doesn't indicate that they considered one method of stringing rather than another appropriate for their music. Although Corbetta uses this standard tuning check for the scordatura pieces in “Varii capricci” (1643) he uses a different one in “Varii scherzi di sonate” (1648).
This avoids making a comparison between the fourth and third courses. If all the intervals are regarded as unisons this would imply a re-entrant tuning in the absence of any mention of octave strings. This would be reading more into it than Corbetta probably intended but it does beg the question - why did he use a different method in this particular book?
Several other sources give incomplete or ambiguous tuning instructions which don't clearly indicate octave stringing or the absence of it.
Fabritio
Costanzo: Fior novello, Libro primo (Bologna, 1627)
A collection of strummed music in alfabeto.
p.5 - [Modo d'accordare la chittara a il 1.tuono]
Prima si tirarà la 5, à suo modo, alta, ò bassa, secondo la grandezza della chitarra, la 4 toccandola à duoi tasti farà una consonanza, che l'orecchia conoscerà facilmente;
la 3 toccandola à duoi tasti, farà una corrispondenza simile alla 5;
la
2 toccandola à 3 tasti haverà corrispondenza con la 4 & la 1 toccandola
à 3 tasti andarà un'ottava alta su la terza.
First, the fifth course, being tuned to a convenient pitch according to the size of the guitar, will make a "consonanza" [i.e. a 5th] with the fourth stopped at the second fret, which the ear will easily recognise.
The third course stopped at the second fret will make a "corrispondenza" [i.e unison?] with the fifth in the same way.
The second stopped at the third fret has a "corrispondenza"
[unison?] with the fourth and the first stopped at the third fret makes an
"ottava" [octave] with the third course.
Comments: As the octave between the third and first courses is specifically mentioned, it is possible that the "corrispondenza" between the others is a unison. This would result in the re-entrant tuning. However, he may simply not have thought it necessary to mention the option of using octave stringing.
Girolamo
Foscarini: Li cinque libri della chitarra alla spagnola (Rome, 1640)
Collection of music in alfabeto and mixed tablature with a lengthy introduction on playing the guitar first printed in about 1630. This includes the standard tuning instructions beginning with the fifth course and tuning upwards in unison. It also includes a tuning check which he says is in octaves. This could be taken to imply octave stringing on the fourth and fifth courses, although these are not specifically mentioned. Taken literally, i.e. assuming that all the intervals are to be read as unisons, they suggest that the fourth and fifth courses are to be tuned in unison in the lower octave.
Regole,
e modi d'accordar la chitara - Si trova ancora un'altra Regola per provare
se la Chitarra sia accordata, cioè con due corde in ottava, toccando, come
vedrete quì sotto, che saranno tutte ottave…
Rule and method for tuning the guitar - Another rule
will also be found for testing if the guitar is in tune, that is two courses
sounding in octaves, as may be seen [in the example] below, which are all
octaves.
Stefano
Pesori: Galeria musicale (Verona: 1648)
A collection of music in mixed tablature for chitarriglia.
Includes verbal tuning instructions similar to Millioni, the standard tuning check in unisons and a second tuning check which he says is in octaves which is similar to Foscarini's. The chitarriglia is literally a small guitar.
Ludovico
Monte: Vago fior di virtu dove si contiene il vero modo per sonare la chitarriglia
spagnuola. (Venice ca.1625)
A collection of strummed music in alfabeto. It includes the standard tuning check and an additional one apparently in octaves although this is not entirely clear in the accompanying note which reads:
E
quelli altri numeri che sono da se é il modo d'accordare, cioe le prime due
corde di sopra si fanno fars voce uguale & mettendo un dito al quinto
tasto, ò toccar la quarta che segue vota & farli far l'istessa voce uguale
e cosi di mano in mano sino à basso, e poi comenciare a salire con la seconda
prova cioè la prima a tre tasti con la terza vota farà l'ottava, e cosi accordarete,
se bene à l'accorder ci vuol la voce viva, che mostri.
And those other numbers which are given are the method
of tuning; that is, the first two strings from above [i.e. the fifth course]
are made to make the same note, and placing a finger on the fifth fret, it
matches the open fourth which follows and it will make the same note; and
so from one to the next as far as the lowest course[i.e. the first course];
and then begining to work with the second check, here the first course at
the third fret will make an octave with the open third course.
Comment: It has been suggested that because the strings of the fifth course are to be tuned to the same note, and the interval of an octave between the first and third courses is specifically mentioned, this implies a re-entrant tuning. Taken literally it implies unison tuning throughout. In a more general sense it could refer to any method of stringing.
Giulio
Banfi: Il maestro della chitara (Milan : 1653)
Collection of music in alfabeto and mixed tablature. Includes verbal tuning instructions similar to Millioni's. He then adds convoluted explanation –
p.11 Column 1
Avertendo
nell' accordare qualsiuoglia corda douuranno ricercar la voce, ciòe l'unisoni
per essempio nell'accordar le quarte se la voce sarà accordata al quarto tasto
della quinta bisognerà alzar le dette corde quarte. Se la voce sarà al sesto
ò più ò meno, anderanno abbàssate, e questa regola servirà per tutte l'altre.
Note that in tuning any string you must seek the [right]
note, that is to say the unisons. For example when tuning the fourths, if
the note sounds the same as that of the fifth course [stopped] at the fourth
fret, it will be necessary to raise the said fourths. If the note [is the
same as that] at the sixth [fret] we have to lower [the fourth course] more
or less, and this rule will serve for all the others.
Comments: There is no mention of any octave strings. He seems to imply that the fifth and fourth courses strings will be tuned in unisons. If the remark "this rule will serve for all the others" is to be taken literally it indicates unison tuning throughout. In a more general sense it could refer to any method of stringing.
Giovanni
Battista Abadessa: Corona di vaghi fiori (Venice: Magni, 1627)
A collection of strummed music in alfabeto.
Il
modo per accordare la chitarra
S'accorderà la prima del quinto in aria, nè troppo alto, nè troppo bassa
La quinta và accordata con la terza tastandola al secondo tasto
La quarta và accordata con la quinta tastandola al quinto tasto
La terza và accordata con la quarta tastandola al quinto tasto
La seconda và accordata con la terra [sic, terza] tastandola al quarto tasto
La prima và accordata con la seconda tastandola al quinto tasto
Quand'e accordata in questa maniera si potrà poi toccare la 1 tastandola al 3 tasto con la 3 vota
La seconda tastandola al terzo tasto con la quarta vota
La terza tastandola al secondo tasto con la quinta vota
La quarta tastandola al secondo tasto con la prima vota
La
5 tastandola al 2 tasto con la 2 vota
Method for tuning the guitar
The first [string?] of the fifth [course?] unstopped is tuned neither too high, nor two low
The fifth course is tuned with the third course stopped at the second fret
The fourth course is tuned with the fifth stopped at the fifth fret
The third course is tuned with the fourth stopped at the fifth fret
The second course is tuned with the third stopped at the fourth fret
The first course is tuned with the second stopped at the fifth fret
When it is tuned in this manner it is possible to
play the first course stopped at the third
fret with the open third course
The second stopped at the third with the open fourth
The third stopped at the second with the open fifth
The fifth stopped at the second fret with the second
open
Comment: It has been suggested that these instructions imply a re-entrant tuning - because the fifth course is equated with the third course stopped at the second fret - and also octave stringing on the third course because the first course is equated with the open third course.
However no distinction is made thoughout between octaves and unisons. The first line could imply that the point of departure is the treble string of a course tuned in octaves. The fact that the fourth course stopped at fifth fret is equated with the third seems to imply a low octave string on the fourth course. In the last part of the instructions it is not clear whether the intervals are octaves or unisons. The best one can say is that these are ambiguous and could apply to any method of stringing. Similar instructions are included in Abatessa's "Cespuglio di varii fiori” (Orvieta: Robletti, 1635) and "Ghirlanda di varii fiori" (Milan: Monza, c.1650).
Abadessa, Giovanni Battista, Intessitura
di varii fiori. (Rome/Lucca, 1652)
p.4
- Modo d'accordare l'arpetta per sonare in concerto con la chitarra
Method of tuning the "arpetta" in concert with the guitar
Antonino Micheli: La nuova chitarra
di regole (Palermo, 1680)
Regola
per accordare l'arpetta della chitarra
Rule for tuning the "arpetta" with the guitar
Corrispondenza
di tutte le lettere della chitarra con tutti li tasti del cembalo.
Correlation of all the [alfabeto] letters of the guitar
with all keys of the keyboard.
Comment: Both are collections of strummed music in alfabeto. Both include verbal instructions matching successive strings of the "arpetta" with notes on the guitar fingerboard. Micheli also includes an illustration matching the strings of the guitar to successive notes on the keyboard. It has been suggested that these indicate a re-entrant tuning. However, in each case some of the notes fall in the wrong octave so that none clearly indicates how the guitar is strung.
Athanasius
Kircher: Musurgia universalis. (Rome, 1650)
A scholarly treatise. Book 6, Chapter 2 deals with the guitar. Most of Kircher's information is taken from Mersenne (see under France) including the illustration of the guitar and re-entrant tuning shown in staff notation.
Antonio
Stradivarius (ca.1700)
A paper pattern in the Stradivari Museum in Cremona. On one side is an illustration of the neck and fingerboard of a theorboed guitar. On the reverse are notes describing the strings on the fingerboard which also refer to the theorboed guitar. These indicate bourdons on both fourth and fifth courses placed on the treble side of the course. [Quotation from Simone F. Sacconi: The secrets of Stradivari (Cremona : Libreria del Convegno, 1979), Item 375, p.228. ]
Questi deve essere compani due cantini di chitara -
queste deve essere compane due sotanelle di chitara -
questi deve essere compane doi cantini da violino grossi -
queste altra corda deve essere un canto da violino -
questa altra corda deve essere una sonanella di chitara -
questa altra corda deve essere un canto da violino ma di più grossi -
questa
corda deve essere un cantino da violino.
First & second strings: These must be like two guitar first strings
Third & fourth strings: These must be like two guitar second strings
Fifth & sixth strings: These must be like two thick violin first strings
Seventh string: This must be a violin second string (bourdon)
Eighth string: This must be a guitar second string
Ninth string: This must be the thickest possible violin second string (bourdon)
Tenth string: This must be a violin first string
Comments: These date from the end of the 17th century and apply to the theorboed guitar. The Italian is mistranslated in Frisoli, Patrizia - The Museo Stradivariano in Cremona in Galpin Society Journal, XXIV, July 1971, p. 40. and on the basis of this mistranslation has sometimes been interpreted as indicating a bourdon on the fourth course only.
F:Pn.Rés.Vmc ms. 59, fol. 108v
This manuscript is a collection of pieces in alfabeto probably dating from the first quarter of the 17th century and clearly of Italian provenance so it is surprising that the instructions may have been adapted to refer to the so called "French" method with octave stringing only on the fourth course. James Tyler has reproduced the text on p.77 of his book "The guitar and its music" and suggests that it refers to the "re-entrant tuning". He has not reproduced the chart. Rather than using a tablature stave like other Italian sources, it shows the courses on the fingerboard, all double except the first, which is single. The line representing the bourdon on the fourth course is slightly thicker than the one which accompanies it, but this may be accidental. This is more noticeable in the manuscript than in the photocopy. As well as the standard intervals the chart includes a Reprova confirming some of the intervals in the written instructions. Tyler has also omitted part of the final sentence which sheds further light on how the text should be interpreted.
Text & translation
Nota che le prime dua[sic] corde sempre s'accordano a voce pari tastandole al sec[ond]o terzo tasto o a voto come si vede qui
Note that the first two strings [i.e. fifth course] are always tuned to the same voice; stopping them at the second or third fret or open as you see here.
Le seconde s'accordano una quarta voce sop a tastate al settimo tasto, con le prime a voce pari o vero al quinto quelle prime con le seconde con voce uguale
The seconds [i.e.fourth course] are tuned a fourth above; stopped at the seventh fret, to the same voice as the firsts [i.e.the fifth course], otherwise those firsts at the fifth fret make the same voice as the seconds [fourth course].
Le terse s'accordano una quarta [una quinta?] sotto, tastate al secondo tasto, col le prime a voto
The thirds are tuned a fourth [ fifth?] below; when stopped at the second fret with the open first [fifth] course
Le quarte s'accordano una terza sop a tastate al terzo tasto con le seconde a voce pari
The fourths [i.e. second course] are tuned a third above; when stopped at the third fret to the same voice as the seconds [i.e. fourth course]
La quinta s'accorda una quarta sopra le [quarte] tastata al terso tasto un ottava sop a le terse o al quinto tasto otto voce sopra le prime [ omitted by Tyler.]
The fifth [i.e.first course] is tuned a fourth above the fourths [i.e.second course]; at the third fret it makes an octave with the third course or at the fifth fret eight notes above the firsts [i.e. fifth course].
Comments:
The courses are referred to in the Italian manner – the lowest sounding course is the first; the highest sounding is the fifth.
There is a clear distinction throughout between unisons ( voce pari/voce uguale ) and octaves ( un ottave/otto voce ). The last sentence - which Tyler has omitted – seems to confirm this.
In the Riprova the lines are reversed so that the lowest line represents the lowest sounding course. The word Riprova is written upside down under the grid to indicate this.
Fifth course
The initial sentence states that two strings of the fifth course are always tuned to the same voice. The second part of the sentence refers to the figures 0 2 3 in the first segment of the illustration under the heading “primo” and seems to be intended to emphasise the fact that this is so whether the course is stopped or open.
There is nothing to suggest that the fifth course is octave strung.
Fourth course
If the fourth course is octave strung, when stopped at the seventh fret the bourdon will be in unison with the fifth course. When the fifth course is stopped at the fifth fret it will be in unison with the treble string on the fourth course.
The fourth course is probably octave strung. The additional check may have been added to the standard instructions to clarify the octave stringing.
Third course
The third course is tuned a fourth [actually a fifth] below the fourth course; when stopped at the second fret it sounds the same as the open fifth course. The first interval in the Riprova in the segment headed “sesto” illustrate this.
The word quarta/quinta is not entirely clear in the manuscript. The copyist may have written quarta instead of quinta or possibly vice versa and tried to correct it – it is an easy mistake to make.
The third course will actually be a fourth above or a fifth below the fourth course if this is octave strung.
The fact that the third course stopped at the second fret is the same as the fifth course is also mentioned.
Second course
The second course is tuned a third above the third course; when stopped at the third fret it sounds the same voice as the high octave string on the fourth course if this is octave strung. The second interval in the Riprova in the segment headed “sesto” illustrates this.
First course
The first course is a fourth above the second; stopped at the third fret it is an octave above the third course. The first interval in the Riprova in the segment headed “settimo” illustrates this.
Stopped at the fifth fret the first course is eight notes above the fifth course.
The copyist has made it clear that these intervals are octaves. (They are incidentally the first two intervals in Valdambrini's octave check.) Those elsewhere in the instructions are most likely unisons. The fact that the first course stopped at the fifth fret is specifically mentioned as being an octave above the fifth indicates that there is a high octave string on the fifth course.
The second interval in the Riprova in the segment headed “settimo” indicates that the outer courses are a fifth apart although this is not mentioned in the text.
Conclusion: Although there is one obvious error, the unisons and octaves seem consistent and suggest that there is a bourdon on the fourth course but not the fifth. The strings of the fifth course are referred to as being the same and also the same as the third course stopped at the second fret. The fifth course cannot be in unison in the lower octave as the final phrase of the instructions specifically mentions that the first course stopped at the fifth fret is eight notes above it.
The instructions seem typical of the muddled attempts to clarify Italian tuning instructions found, for example in Abatessa and Banfi. They suggest that there were different ways of interpreting the original instructions and that players did not alweys understand them or find them helpful. There is no reason why individual players should not have adapted the standard instructions to suit themselves.