minstrel: guitar history???

[Tadhg O Cuileannain]

There are actually a lot of options here (Joseph of
Locksley's article "The Guitar Before 1650" outlines
them pretty well, though I might quibble with a few
details).  The simplest, cheapest solution is the
baritone ukelele--four strings, tuned like the top
four courses of a guitar. About $60.  If you can find
one of the oval "pineapple ukes" that's even better
(not that it's really period, but it looks exotic
enough that it doesn't seem jarringly modern
either--and ukeleles are close descendants of
16th-17th century Portugese guitars). You can't do the
kind of fingerpicking you're probably used to, but
that's an advantage since Travis picking is not
anywhere near period.

Then there are a host of ethnic instruments such as
the cuatro and the vihuela, which are available from
Lark in the Morning (there have been negative remarks
about them on this list, but I will vouch for their
$300 Puerto Rican Cuatro--it's a nice instrument if
you put nylon strings on it).

The small (1/2-3/4) size guitars can be nice, but I do
think there's an advantage to choosing an instrument
that forces you out of your habitual approach to
playing.  When you don't have six strings anymore, you
really have to think "How would they have accompanied
this song in 1300? (1450, 1540?)".

Tadhg
--- Lisa and Ken Theriot <lnktheriot at cox.net> wrote:
> Antonia wrote:
> 
> [My basic reading suggests they were in use by late
> 16 century in
> somewhat modern configuration.  If someone would
> like to enlighten me, I
> would be grateful.  I was thinking of getting a 3/4
> size one for the
> portability and to be less obtrusive, and also it
> appears that early
> guitars were somewhat small.]


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Tadhg O Cuilleannain of One Thousand Eyes
Tim Connor of Idaho Falls, Idaho
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