Re: VIOLA DA GAMBA was: Duduk and melancholic instrument

["Todd Matthews" <gtmatthews@gmail.com>]

I played the violone in an early music ensemble which is kinda like a super sized gamba. It had 6 gut strings and frets. It was easier to play in tune but thats once you got the frets right! The frets are actually gut strings tied around the neck so they slide around. Sometimes even having a fret going "what looks like" straight across the fingerboard would actually be out of tune and I would have to jam in toothpick or push one side of the fret up higher. Gut strings are much more sensitive than steel strings to temperature and humidity so it takes it awhile to get them to set. I would show up to rehearsal 30-45 mins early to tune the open strings and then tune each fret on each string chromatically in equal temperament so it would sound good with the harpsichord...... and adjusting those wooden pegs.....man. Before concerts we would spend sooo much time that day getting the ensemble together it tune. The ensemble did have an amazing sound and color once it was tuned up. Good experience overall but it definitely made me appreciate my double bass with machine tuners and steel string much more!

Todd

On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 8:10 AM, Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com> wrote:

Stephen Moyes wrote:
"I'm not sure if she has ever been mentioned here before, but the French musician Colleen (aka Cecile Schott) has made some wonderful music using the viola da gamba and also does a certain amount of live looping. I can particularly recommend her album 'les ondes silencieuses'. www.colleenplays.org/   "


Cool you mentioned her.   She's a really unusual and very sensitive musician.

after hearing her I went and researched the Violo Da Gamba
(not knowing it)

I found out some interesting things.    It was played sitting down in an upright position like a modern day cello.
I had a flat fretboard and was tuned in 4ths except for one 3rd string which led to the modern guitar tuning.

I read that music written with it was a lot more sophisticated harmonically because of the fretting and
six strings and the ability to play chords easily in tune.

Cellos were much louder, having steel strings which supplanted the gut strings of the Gamba and eventually caused the instrument to cease to be used in repertoire.
There was ,  if I get my sources correct,  a reduction in harmonic sophistication after it's demise but I can't find the original piece of
writing that said this.

here's the wikipedia article on this fascinating instrument

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viol_

Thanks for mentioning Collen, Steve!

----- Original Message ----- From: o.malhomme@laposte.net
Speaking of cello as a melancholic instrument, what about the "viola da gamba" ?
(I am not too sure of the translation) </div>