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This series of articles by Catherine Liddell was originally published in the LSA Quarterly between 2011 and 2013. Initially begun as a single article introducing players to the system of German tablature, this quickly became a series of articles resembling more a graded primer. Moving slowly through it will enable both the “inner code breaker” in all of us, as well as the intrepid explorers of the vast repertoire for lute, to gain a foothold in reading music in German tablature. A quote from John Quincy Adams comes to mind as a good starting point: “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” Anyone who plays the lute has experienced that patience. It’s no less true for learning to read from German tablature. Have at it!
Cathy