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The Can of Norms: Expanding the Modern Lute Plucking Technique (2018)

Talitha Witmer
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Name: Talitha Cumi Witmer Main Subject: Lute/Theorbo Research Supervisor: Bart van Oort Title of Research: The Can of Norms: Expanding the Modern Lute Plucking Technique Research Question: Can “Thumb-out,” a historical lute technique in common use following the late Renaissance period, become favored by lutenists today? Summary of Results: After its revival in the 20th century, much has been discovered about the lute and its technique. One issue that is recently placed on the agenda of lutenists is the plucking technique applied on lutes. It is a known fact that Thumb-out was the technique applied most commonly for lute playing. Yet, very few lutenists adopt this Thumb-out technique today. Modern lute tutors tend to advise to avoid Thumb-out. If not, they advise to pluck around the rossete, and position their thumb close to the index finger. In paintings and treatises, however, we see Thumb-out hand with thumb positioned away from the index while the hand is placed around the bridge, and Thumb-out hand placed around the rosette, the former more often. I delved into this technique for 3 years and have come to understand that this “forgotten Thumb-out” is as matter of fact a technique that can be very beneficial for lute players, opening new, colorful, historical and healthy possibilities. Biography: The American-Korean lutenist, Talitha Cumi Witmer, started her musical studies at age 4 with church choir and piano. When she was 9 she heard a lute on a CD and immediately fell in love with its sound. Her dream to study the lute was then realized at the age of 13, when she began her formal studies on the instrument in Tokyo. Since 2011 she studies the lute under Joachim Held, and the theorbo under Mike Fentross since 2012. She performs both as a continuo player and a soloist, in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, and Portugal.
typeresearch exposition
keywordsLute, technique, Early Music research, Early music, gut strings, plucking
date20/09/2016
published02/10/2018
last modified02/10/2018
statuspublished
share statusprivate
licenseAll rights reserved
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/298192/507048
published inKC Research Portal
portal issue1. Master Research Projects


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316780 [plan 3] Talitha Witmer Master Research Project T.C.Witmer All rights reserved
368670 theorbo_by_Fedchenko @Fedchenko 2017 All rights reserved
426199 Figure 1 Seudora 2008, 72 All rights reserved
426201 Figure 1 Seudora 2008, 72 All rights reserved
426203 Figure 2 Seudora 2008, 73 All rights reserved
426205 Figure 3 Damiani 1999, 15 All rights reserved
426515 Figure 2 Seudora 2008, 72 All rights reserved
426519 Figure 1 Seudora 2008, 72 All rights reserved
430645 Seudora 2008, 72 Seudora 2008 All rights reserved
430698 TI with high base T.C.Witmer 2017 All rights reserved
506397 Serdoura 2008, 76 Serdoura 2008 All rights reserved
506398 Serdoura 2008, 76 Serdoura 2008, 76 All rights reserved
506474 Serdoura 2008, 76 Serdoura 2008 All rights reserved
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506547 487px-Andrea_Solario_-_The_Lute_Player_-_WGA21604 A.Solario_Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome All rights reserved
506550 Jan Kupecký - Portrait of Count Johann Adam Graf von Questenberg playing the lute - 1716 Private collection. Prague. All rights reserved
506640 Adam_Falckenhagen (1697-1754). Stör, Johann Willem. N.d. Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel. All rights reserved
506642 Adam_Falckenhagen_Bildnis Stör, Johann Willem. N.d. Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel. All rights reserved
506648 baron_1727.org Stör, Johann Willem, 1727. All rights reserved
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506793 FloodgatesPandorasboxCanofworms_t670_t658 http://learningadvancedenglish.blogspot.com/2016/03/can-of-worms.html All rights reserved
506797 FloodgatesPandorasboxCanofworms_t670_t658 Image - http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2014/10/01/FloodgatesPandorasboxCanofworms_t670_t658.jpg?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5 All rights reserved
506806 Barley cover pager William Barly 1600 All rights reserved
507052 Screen Shot 2018-09-12 at 7.35.29 PM http://learningadvancedenglish.blogspot.com All rights reserved

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