Lutefest 2023 – Saturday Schedule

This will have a much more practical focus based on the principles I’ve been developing over the last forty (maybe fifty) years about the fantasia/ricercar as discourse, and the convergence of principles of rhetoric and architecture.

In this course, Chris will cover the basic physiological mechanics involved in playing the Renaissance lute well. He will deal with the fundamentals of right-hand thumb-under technique, the principles of left-hand finger placement (with special emphasis given to the thumb and little finger), and the “order,” or method, of choosing felicitous fingerings. He will also provide a checklist of problems to avoid, while offering insights into various ways of holding the lute, practicing, producing good tone, and playing in a relaxed, focused manner.