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As a harpsichordist and HIP performer, I was so fascinated with 16th-century keyboard tablature notation on my first encounter some years ago. Since then, I have been inspired to explore playing from original notation as part of my HIP training. This research is a big part of this artistic endeavor, addressing 16th-century keyboard tablature notation from Spanish and German sources and finding answers for what it is, why it was invented, why it is not in practice today, and how one may bring it back to practice. At the beginning stages of this exploration, I noticed that keyboard tablature was not really in practice as performance notation in the current HIP dialogue. I wanted to investigate why and, through this thesis, present it as a relevant, stimulating topic. This research presents historical and theoretical analysis of this notation and the results of an extensive systematic experiment-survey I devised and conducted with 32 non-musicians and musicians of all levels. Personally, the contents of this thesis have greatly deepened my understanding of historical performance of keyboard music in the 16th century and enriched my experience as an Early Music performer.

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  • contents
    • Title Page
    • Table of Contents
    • Introduction
    • I. What Is Tablature?
    • Chapter 1: In the Beginning: The Origins of Keyboard Notation
    • Chapter 2: The German Tablature
    • Chapter 3: The Spanish Tablature
    • II. Why Tablature?
    • Chapter 4: Matters of Printing: Composition, Notation, and Technology in 16th-Century Europe
    • Chapter 5: A Humane and Merciful Method: A Pedagogical Approach
    • Chapter 6: The Advantages and Benefits of Tablature
    • III. Why Not Tablature?
    • Chapter 7: Debunking the Myth: A Tablature Experiment
    • Chapter 8: To Tab or Not to Tab, That is the Question! The Psychology of Notation
    • Chapter 9: Tablature and Historically Informed Performance Practice
    • Chapter 10: Tablature Returns: Efforts after the 17th Century to Bring Back Tablature
    • Conclusion
    • Bibliography
    • For Further Reading
    • Appendix A: Tablature Experiment Results
    • Appendix B: Web Resources
    • Appendix C: Media Gallery
    • Christina Kwon
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  • abstract
    As a harpsichordist and HIP performer, I was so fascinated with 16th-century keyboard tablature notation on my first encounter some years ago. Since then, I have been inspired to explore playing from original notation as part of my HIP training. This research is a big part of this artistic endeavor, addressing 16th-century keyboard tablature notation from Spanish and German sources and finding answers for what it is, why it was invented, why it is not in practice today, and how one may bring it back to practice. At the beginning stages of this exploration, I noticed that keyboard tablature was not really in practice as performance notation in the current HIP dialogue. I wanted to investigate why and, through this thesis, present it as a relevant, stimulating topic. This research presents historical and theoretical analysis of this notation and the results of an extensive systematic experiment-survey I devised and conducted with 32 non-musicians and musicians of all levels. Personally, the contents of this thesis have greatly deepened my understanding of historical performance of keyboard music in the 16th century and enriched my experience as an Early Music performer.
  • Christina Kwon - 16th-Century Keyboard Tablature as Performance Notation - 2020
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<< Appendix A

Experiment Modules

    Appendix B

Web Resources

Klavarskribo Resources

Notatie der Toetsenkunst 1460-1750

                    Program Booklet

Appendix C >>