A Guide to Playing the Baroque Guitar

by James Tyler

Overview

James Tyler offers a practical manual to aid guitar players and lutenists in transitioning from modern stringed instruments to the baroque guitar. He begins with the physical aspects of the instrument, addressing tuning and stringing arrangements and technique before considering the fundamentals of baroque guitar tablature. In the second part of the book Tyler provides an anthology of representative works from the repertoire. Each piece is introduced with an explanation of the idiosyncrasies of the particular manuscript or source and information regarding any performance practice issues related to the piece itself—represented in both tablature and staff notation. Tyler's thorough yet practical approach facilitates access to this complex body of work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253222893
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	01/24/2011
Series:	Publications of the Early Music Institute
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James Tyler (1940-2010) was Professor Emeritus of Music History and Literature and served as Director of the Early Music Program and of the Thornton Baroque Sinfonia at the University of Southern California. He is author (with Paul Sparks) of The Guitar and Its Music and The Early Mandolin.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments

Part 1. The Basics
1. The Instrument
2. Tuning and Stringing
3. Technique
4. Reading Tablature Notation
Italian Tablature
French Tablature
5.The Fundamentals of Battuto (Strumming) Technique
Simple Strokes
Rhythmic Ornamentation
6. Reading Mixed Tablature Notation
Performance Markings
Ornament Signs
More about Alfabeto
7. Idioms Unique to the Baroque Guitar
"Inversionless" Chords
Campanelas
The Selective Playing of Bourdons
8. A Note on Basso Continuo

Part 2. An Anthology of Music for Baroque Guitar
Introduction to the Anthology
9. Pieces Suitable for Stringing A
Pavanas por la D / Gaspar Sanz (1675)
Suite of English Tunes / Elizabeth Cromwell's Manuscript (ca. 1684)
Corrente nona / Ferdinando Valdambrini (1646)
Allemande–Sarabande / Antoine Carré (1671)
10. Pieces suitable for Stringing B
Prelud[io]–Chiacona / Francesco Corbetta (1648)
Alemanda–Corrente–Sarabanda–Giga / Giovanni Battista Granata (1674)
Passacaille dite Mariona / Lelio Colista (ca. 1675)
Prelude / Angelo Michele Bartolotti (ca. 1655)
Allemande "La Furieuse" / François Campion (1705)
Folies d'Espagne / François Le Cocq (ca. 1700)
11. Pieces Suitable for Stringing C
Pavaniglia con parti variate / Giovanni Paolo Foscarini (ca. 1630)
Aria di Fiorenza / Anonymous/Carlo Calvi (1646)
Capriccio–Sarabanda–Capriccio / Francesco Asioli (1676)
Jacaras / Francisco Guerau (1694)
12. Pieces for Guitar and Basso Continuo
Sinfonia a 2 / Francesco Corbetta (1643)
Sinfonia à dui / Giovanni Battista Granata (1651)
Follià: Sonata 12 de Coreli [sic] / Arcangelo Corelli/Anonymous (ca. 1725–30)

Selected Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University - Mark Cudek

Tyler's detailed explanation of stringing and tuning, playing techniques, notation, and ornamentation will make a vast repertory immediately accessible to anyone who plays the guitar and easily accessible to . . . musicians in general.

Editorial Reviews

"Tyler's refreshing style of writing is exemplary. Everything is explained in clear, easy-to-read English, without the blight of verbosity so prevalent in other musicological texts."—Early Music Review

"The depth of detail in this volume is thorough and fascinating. Just a look at the chapter headings gives you some idea of the care taken in the researching of the very misunderstood instrument. . . . I cannot praise this volume highly enough. If there is anything not included in here, then it probably wasn't worth mentioning anyway. It is a fitting tribute to a much missed musician and should be snapped up by anyone with the smallest of interest in this fine period in our instrument's history."—Classical Guitar

"It is obvious that Tyler was most concerned about clarity and a sound pedagogical method as he organized this book. It is precisely because A Guide to Playing the Baroque Guitar possesses breadth and accessibility that it is so effective. It is a good addition to any music library."—Notes

"The beginner Baroque guitarist needs a guide before approaching unedited tablature, and James Tyler's new book, A Guide to Playing the Baroque Guitar . . . fulfills that need admirably."—Fontes Artis Musicae

"I recommend [this] book highly to all students, players, and teachers of the Baroque guitar."—Early Music America

"Tyler's detailed explanation of stringing and tuning, playing techniques, notation, and ornamentation will make a vast repertory immediately accessible to anyone who plays the guitar and easily accessible to . . . musicians in general."—Mark Cudek, Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University

From the Publisher

Tyler's refreshing style of writing is exemplary. Everything is explained in clear, easy-to-read English, without the blight of verbosity so prevalent in other musicological texts.

Early Music Review

I recommend [this] book highly to all students, players, and teachers of the Baroque guitar.

Early Music America

The depth of detail in this volume is thorough and fascinating. Just a look at the chapter headings gives you some idea of the care taken in the researching of the very misunderstood instrument. . . . I cannot praise this volume highly enough. If there is anything not included in here, then it probably wasn't worth mentioning anyway. It is a fitting tribute to a much missed musician and should be snapped up by anyone with the smallest of interest in this fine period in our instrument's history.

Classical Guitar

It is obvious that Tyler was most concerned about clarity and a sound pedagogical method as he organized this book. It is precisely because A Guide to Playing the Baroque Guitar possesses breadth and accessibility that it is so effective. It is a good addition to any music library.

Notes

The beginner Baroque guitarist needs a guide before approaching unedited tablature, and James Tyler's new book, A Guide to Playing the Baroque Guitar . . . fulfills that need admirably.

Fontes Artis Musicae

"Tyler's detailed explanation of stringing and tuning, playing techniques, notation, and ornamentation will make a vast repertory immediately accessible to anyone who plays the guitar and easily accessible to... musicians in general." —Mark Cudek, Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University

Mark Cudek