Lyra-Viol tunings
Out of the Manchester Lyra-Viol Book
Guest Post by good friend JB guitar experimenter.
The Viola da Gamba, also known as “bowed lute” or in a more actual style of speech “bowed guitar” has a wide array of polyphonic capabilities in its standard tuning, but throughout the ages, for solo as well as ensemble playing, composers, especially English ones used other tunings to even broaden the chordal or polyphonic playing.
There’s a book which gathers scores of all this Era, which is the Manchester Lyra-Viol Book, and it also gathers the various tunings as well. Here is what interests me today, how to explore, even further than it already was, the chordal playing, but in an actual perspective, in the XXIst Century’s one.
Those tunings are not just opens or drops, but way more elaborated, some are for a scale or mode only, others are totally crazy! These can get pretty mind-numbing so brace yourself!
The Viola da Gamba tablature existed in many ways:
-Using ciphers,
-Using letters,
-Using a language made of signs which are neither letters nor ciphers.
The most widely used was the second of those, with letters. That’s this one I’ll use now. It requires a bit of practice to be figured out and get a “sight-finger” mechanism, but no worries; it can be easily “translated” into ciphers for who is used to the numbered tablature.
The Viola da Gamba has seven frets, the rest of the neck is fretless, but it happens that there’s an octave fret to help for high flageolets.
The letter A is the open string, the B is the first fret, the C the second fret (etc) up to the seventh fret.
Important notice: there are letters to indicate where to lay fingers beyond the fretted neck, and there is a letter which is, in fact, two in one!
If you see an “I”, don’t expect the next up to be a “J” because those two letters are all in one (for further explanations, try to know about the use of those letters in a Historical way).
So, it makes A B C D E F G H I K L M N up to the octave.
Over with theory, let’s see what you can get out of those tunings…
First, you must know that the tuning is set from the higher string, as you may end up with a super high note that will make your string break.
Better a floppy low than a high note that can’t be reached!
Gauges are to be carefully considered!
Second, the intervals in use between strings are from the unison to the perfect fifth.
The guitar in its standard tuning is thus tuned in a FFFEF way, as if taken from the missing 6th string which will be E, you’ve got a perfect fourth leading to B, then a Major third leading to G…
Here you can see that F means a perfect fourth below, because if you put your finger at the 5th fret (notated F), you obtain a perfect fourth above, which is the high E.
Same principle applies to the 4th fret (notated E).
I hope you don’t soon get a headache, because things are just getting started!
I propose you to sum up the letters in use in the tuning system:
-C is for the Major second,
-D is for the minor third,
-E is for the Major third,
-F is for the perfect fourth,
-G is for the tritone/augmented fourth/diminished fifth, though very few used,
-H is for the perfect fifth.
Now, you can really start the mind-numbing experience with tunings, but with fingerings as well: try the same chord fingering on different tunings, and hear what you get. Be ready to explore a new sonic realm, and to get addicted to insanity!
I gathered the most interesting tunings I’ve found. Here they are, finally:
Remember to always start from the highest string!
1. DEDEH
2. DEDFH
3. DEFDE
4. DEFHF
5. DEFHH
6. DEHFF
7. DEHFH
8. DFEDF
9. DFEDH
10. DFEFH
11. EDEDF
12. EDEDH
13. EDEFF
14. EDEFH
15. EDEFD
16. EDFHF
17. EDFHH
18. EFDEF
19. EFDEH
20. EFDHF
21. EFFFE
22. EFFFF
23. EFFFH
24. EFFHF
25. EFHFH
26. FDEDF
27. FDEFH
28. FEDED
29. FEDEF
30. FEDFH
31. FEFDE
32. FEFHF
33. FEFHH
34. FFEDH
35. FFDEF
36. FFEDE
37. FFEDF
38. FFEEC
39. FFEFC
40. FFEFD
41. FFEFF
42. FFEFH
43. FFFED
44. FFHFH
45. FGDFF
46. FGDFH
47. FHFCF
48. FHFDE
49. FHFED
50. FHFHE
51. FHFHF
52. FHFHH
53. HFHFH
Like you’ve noticed, the possibilities are both thrilling and frightening (learn how to tune properly using letters and from above, you’ll understand me better!)
But believe me, it’s worth the sweat. If you are searching for guitar dubs you’ve got a great overview of what can be done. I stopped at 53 tunings because I thought it was enough…for you!
Not to let you end alone, here’s a practical example of what can be done with the first tuning, DEDEH:
Start from the highest string which is E, go down a perfect fifth and get an A, then go down a Major third and get an F, then go down a minor third and get a D, then go down again a Major third and get a B flat and finally go down again to end a minor third below on a G.
Here we are, from the lowest string, you obtain G, B flat, D, F, A, E.
For the theory addicts (and jazz lovers, like me), it’s a min 7 (9, 13) played just with OPEN STRINGS!
Finally a tuning that doesn’t suck!
It seems totally nuts, but you can have loads of fun playing 7th, 9th chords and even 11th, 13th ones, plus all their altered versions in any scale or mode…
I wish you extraordinary hours, days, months, and years, whatever, squeezing your brain to get a tasty musical juice, and I hope your fingers won’t drive too wild. Try not to make a knot out of them!
Last but not least, don’t mess the name of the notes with the tablature letters!
Keep in mind that, in Germany, H is the same as B, and B the same as B flat (think about Bach’s Fugue theme “BACH” which is B flat, A, C, B). That may help!
GOOD LUCK!
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Faenivoldsk // Dec 17, 2008 at 1:56 pm
This article searches in the depths of a lost knowledge to help with nowadays music and no one cares…lame!
Besides gear and carreer,does something interests you here?
2 Dave Saphra // Jan 5, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Hey, Jean-Baptiste:
You’re a wild-man! Glad someone’s gotten busy getting the word out about these great resources. Where did you find your 57 tunings? I was fortunate to find quite a few in the British Viola da Gamba Society’s incredible index. I think I might have you beat by one tuning, if you glance things over, below. It’s been a while since I drew all that up, and I haven’t actually gotten around to posting it on my own site … so thanks for letting me clutter up yours with it all.
If you have time to double check and notice any errors please let me know. the “•DS” tunings are my own concoctions, so I omitted them from my overall tally of 58.
I especially like the fuss you’ve made over that first, haunting tuning (dedeh) that I suspect John Jenkins devised while squatting at the estate of his student, Roger L’Estrange, towards the end of Jenkins’ incredibly prolific 86 years of 17th century living.
Now that I’ve looked things quickly over, I see that the 58th tuning I have listed is actually for 7-string viol which obviously wouldn’t count from your point of view, leaving your 6-string wildman crown.
Keep up the wonderful, wild work.
Yours,
Dave Saphra
lyraviol.org
wwwwwww
COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF LYRA VIOL TUNINGS
Arranged in Consecutive Alphabetical Order
1. Leycester/Jenkins p.41
d e d e h
B G# E C# A D
-3 -1 0 +1 +2 0
2. No Name
d e d f h
B G# E C# G# C#
-3 -1 0 +1 +1 -1
3. No Name
d e f d e
B G# E B G# E
-3 -1 0 -1 +1 +2
4. XII Harpway Sharp
d e f h f
C A F C F C
-2 0 +1 0 -2 -2
5. (XII Harp Sharp w/lwrd 6th str.}
d e f h h
C# A# F# C# F# B
-1 +1 +2 +1 -1 -3
6. No Name
d e h f f
C# A# F# B F# C#
-1 +1 +2 -1 -1 -1
7. No Name
d e h f h
C# A# F# B F# B
-1 +1 +2 -1 -1 -3
8. XIX
d f e d f
C A E C A E
-2 0 0 0 +2 +2
9. (XIX w/lowered 6th str.)
d f e d h
C A E C A D
-2 0 0 0 +2 0
10. No Name
d f e f h
C A E C G C
-2 0 0 0 0 -2
11. XVII
e d e d f
B G E C A E
-3 -2 0 0 +2 +2
12. (XVII w/lowered 6th str.)
e d e d h
B G E C A D
-3 -2 0 0 +2 0
13. XVI
e d e f f
C Ab F Db Ab Eb
-2 -1 +1 +1 +1 +1
14. XV (XVI w/lowered 6th str.)
edefh
e d e f h
C Ab F Db Ab Db
-2 -1 +1 +1 +1 -1
15. XX
e d f e d
B G E B G E
-3 -2 0 -1 0 +2
16. XI Harpway Flat
e d f h f
C# A F# C# F# C#
-1 0 +2 +1 -1 -1
17. (Harp Flat w/lowered 6th str.}
e d f h h
C# A F# C# F# B
-1 0 +2 +1 -1 -3
18. No Name
e d h f h
D Bb G C G C
O +1 +3 0 0 -2
• DS18.5 WholeTone1
e e e g e
C# A F C# F C#
-1 0 +1 +1 -2 -1
19. X French Sette
e f d e f
C Ab Eb C Ab Eb
-2 -1 -1 0 +1 +1
20. (X Fr. Sette w/lowered 6th str.)
e f d e h
C Ab Eb C Ab Db
-2 -1 -1 0 +1 -1
21. No Name
e f d h f
D Bb F D G D
0 +1 +1 +2 0 0
22. XXI Drew’s Tuning
e f f f e
C Ab Eb C G Eb
-2 -1 -1 0 0 +1
23. No Name
e f f f f
C Ab Eb C G D
-2 -1 -1 0 0 0
24. (XXI Drew’s w/lowered 6th str.)
e f f f h
C# A E B F# B
-1 0 0 -1 -1 -2
25. No Name
e f f h f
D Bb F C F Db
0 +1 +1 0 -2 -1
26. V
e f h f h
D# B F# B F# B
+1 +2 +2 -1 -1 -3
• DS26.5 Lyra/Eights
e g e f h
D# B D# B F# B
+1 +2 -1 -1 -1 -3
27. XVIII
f d e d f
C G E C A E
-2 -2 0 0 +2 +2
28. XIII High Harpway Sharp
f d e f h
Db Ab F Db Ab Db
-1 -1 +1 +1 +1 -1
29. No Name
f e d e d
B F# D B G E
-3 -3 -2 -1 0 +2
30. XXVII
f e d e f
C G E C# A E
-2 -2 0 +1 +2 +2
31. XIV High Harpway Flat
f e d f h
D A F D A D
0 +1 +1 +2 +2 0
32. No Name
f e f d e
C# G# E B G# E
-1 -1 0 -1 +1 +2
33. III Leero Way
f e f h f
D A F C F C
0 0 +1 0 -1 -2
34. (III Leero w/lowered 6th str.)
f e f h h
D# A# F# C# F# B
+1 +1 +2 +1 -1 -3
35. XXII
f f c d h
C G D C A D
-2 -2 -2 0 +2 0
36. No Name
f f d e f
Db Ab Eb C Ab Eb
-1 -1 -1 O +1 +1
37. MOSS B
f f e d e
C# G# D# B G# E
-1 -1 -1 -1 +1 +2
38. MOSS A
f f e d f
C# G# D# B G# D#
-1 -1 -1 -1 +1 +1
39. MOSS D
f f e e c
C# G# D# B G F
-1 -1 -1 -1 0 +3
40. MOSS C
f f e f e
C# G# D# B F# D
-1 -1 -1 -1 +1 0
41. No Name
f f e f d
C# G# D# B F# E
-1 -1 -1 -1 +1 +2
42. I Viol Waye
f f e f f
D A E C G D
0 0 0 0 0 0
42a I Viol Waye A415
f f e f f
C# G# D# F# C#
-1 -1 -1 -1 -1
43. (I w/lowered 6th str.)
f f e f h
D A E C G C
0 0 0 0 0 -2
44. No Name
f f f e d
D A E B G E
0 0 0 -1 0 +2
45. IV Fifths
f f h f h
E B F# B F# B
+2 +2 +2 -1 -1 -3
46. No Name
f g d f f
D A Eb C G D
0 0 -1 0 0 0
47. No Name
f g d f h
D A Eb C G C
0 0 -1 0 0 -2
• D47.5 Blues 8tes 1
f h c d h
D A D C A D
0 0 -2 0 +2 0
48. No Name
f h f c f
Eb Bb Eb Bb Ab Eb
+1 +1 -1 -2 +1 +1
49. No Name
f h f d e
Eb Bb Eb Bb G Eb
+1 +1 -1 -2 0 +1
50. No Name
f h f e d
Eb Bb Eb Bb Gb Eb
+1 +1 -1 -2 -1 +1
51. No Name
f h f h e
E B E B E C
+2 +2 0 -1 -2 -2
52. VI Eights
f h f h f
E B E B E B
+2 +2 0 -1 -3 -3
53. (VI Eights w/lowered 6th str.)
f h f h h
E B E B E A
+2 +2 0 -1 -3 -4
54. No Name
h f h f h
E A E A E A
+2 0 +2 -3 -3 -4
55. IX Horne’s Pipe
f f f
D A E • • •
0 0 0
56. VII Lancashire Pipes
f h n
• C F F • •
+3 +1 -7 {-2 w/X’d 5th str.)
57. VIII Bagpipes h[-]fh
h f h
D G • D G •
0 -2 +2 0
58. (I w/added 7th str.)
f f e f f f
D A E C G D A
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6
1. dedeh LeStrange B G# E C# A D
2. dedfh B G #E C# G# C#
3. defde B G# E B G# E
4. defhf XII C A F C F C
5. defhh C# A# F# C# F# B
6. dehff C# A# F# B F# C#
7. dehfh C A# F# B F# B
8. dfedf XIX C A E C A E
9. dfedh C A E C A D
10. dfefh C A E C G C
11. ededf XVII B G E C A E
12. ededh B G E C A D
13. edeff XVI C Ab F Db Ab Eb
14. edefh XV C Ab F Db Ab Db
15. edfed XX B G E B G E
16. edfhf XI C# A F# C# F# C#
17. edfhh C# A F# C# F# B
• eeege DS18.5 C# A F C# F C#
18. edhfh D Bb G C G C
19. efdef X C Ab Eb C Ab Eb
20. efdeh C Ab Eb C Ab Db
21. efdhf D Bb F D G D
22. efffe XXI Drew C Ab Eb C G Eb
23. effff C Ab Eb C G D
24. efffh C# A E B F# B
25. effhf D Bb F C F Db
26. efhfh V D# B F# B F# B
• egefh DS26.5 D# B D# B F# B
27. fdedf XVIII C G E C A E
28. fdefh XIII Db Ab F Db Ab Db
29. feded B F# D B G E
30. fedef XXVII C G E C# A E
31. fedfh XIV D A F D A D
32. fefde C# G# E B G# E
33. fefhf III D A F C F C
34. fefhh XXVIII D# A# F# C# F# B
35. ffcdh XXII C G D C A D
36. ffdef Db Ab Eb C Ab Eb
37. ffede MOSS B C# G# D# B G# E
38. ffedf MOSS A C# G# D# B G# D#
39. ffeec MOSS D C C# G# D# B F#
40. ffefe MOSS C C# G# D# B F# D
41. ffefd C# G# D# B F# E
42. ffeff I D A E C G D
43. ffefh II D A E C G C
44. fffed E B F# B F# B
45. ffhfh IV E B F# B F# B
46. fgdff D A Eb C G D
47. fgdfh D A Eb C G C
48. fhfcf Eb Bb Eb Bb Ab Eb
• egefh DS47.5 D A D C A D
49. fhfde Eb Bb Eb Bb G Eb
50. fhfed Eb Bb Eb Bb Gb Eb
51. fhfhe E B E B E C
52. fhfhf VI E B E B E B
53. fhfhh E B E B E A
54. hfhfh E A E A E A
55. fff IX D A E • • •
56. fhn VII • C F F • •
57. h[-]fh VIII D G • D G •
58. ffefff XXIX D A E C G D A
3 JB // Jan 6, 2009 at 12:54 am
Haudi!
Well it’s been a while i was discussing that with Paolo Pandolfo,Jonathan Dunford and Alison Crum.it took me 3 years to gather it all with traveling,studying,etc.
I borrowed some tunings from Gaultier Le Vieux,the harp ones,yet lute and gamba are tuned the same way in standard tuning.i also got a bunch of”drone”tunings that Sainte-Colombe le père used in pieces he calls”vielles”.
Maybe you should give a look at the “Tournus manuscript” which gathers a ton of music yet unplayed.
Glad you dig my work!
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