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Lute Society of America Logo
  • Events
    • Lute Fest 2026
    • All Events
  • Publications
    • LSA Quarterly
    • LSA Journal
    • Author Resources
    • Pat O’Brien Instruction
    • Quarterly Series Articles
      • Beyond the Basics
      • German Tab Made Easy…er
      • The Rasgueado Technique
      • The Wire Connection
    • Books
      • A History of the Lute
      • Teaching & Studying the Lute
  • Resources
    • Hire a Lute Professional
    • Grant Opportunities
    • Lute for Beginners
      • Where to Start
      • For Guitarists
      • Lute Videos
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      • Facsimile Collection
      • Tree Edition
      • LSA Member Recordings
      • French Airs de Cour
      • Books and Music Editions for Sale
    • Instruments
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      • Grant Tomlinson’s Historical Lute Archive
    • Downloads
    • External Resources
      • Lute Tablature Sites
      • Other Early Music Organizations & Sites
      • Scholarly Resources
      • Lute Study Programs
      • Lutes in North American Museums
      • Lute Art in North American Museums
      • International Transport of Instruments
  • About
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Ronn McFarlane – Beyond the Basics

If you have found this material helpful, please consider making a donation to the Lute Society of America, to support our efforts to provide educational material about the lute. For access to more educational articles from the LSA Quarterly, become a member today!

 

Originally published in the LSA Quarterly beginning in 2004, Ronn McFarlane‘s Beyond the Basics series explores beginner to intermediate lute techniques. It is an indispensable resource to any lutenist wishing to take their playing to the next level!  

Beyond the Basics 1 – Introduction

Beyond the Basics 2 – How to Practice

Beyond the Basics 3 – Quick Release

Beyond the Basics 4 – How To Change a Habit

Beyond the Basics 5 – Surviving a Scale Burst

Beyond the Basics 6 – Rolling Chords

Beyond the Basics 7 – Left Hand Shifts

Beyond the Basics 8 – The Hinge Bar

Beyond the Basics 9 – Trebles

Beyond the Basics 10 – Quiet Practice

Beyond the Basics 11 – Tone Control

Beyond the Basics 12 – Color Coding

Beyond the Basics 13 – Painting the Music

Beyond the Basics 14 – Mind Control

Beyond the Basics 15 – A Lighter Touch in Rapid Passages

Beyond the Basics 16 – Avoid Labored Playing

Beyond the Basics 17 – A Low Right Hand Position

Beyond the Basics 18 – Right Arm Movement and Follow-Through in Thumb-Under Technique

Beyond the Basics 19 – No Plodding

lutesocietyofamerica

Keeping the lute and its music alive!

Have you ever wondered if you can play Renaissance Have you ever wondered if you can play Renaissance lute music on a guitar? Or perhaps you are in a city where the lute isn't common, but you still hear that lute call in your head? You are not alone—many of us started by simply changing the third-string tuning of a classical guitar and playing some Da Milano or some simple Bergamascas. Reading lute tablature can be easier than you think, especially if you already read modern guitar tablature!

We want to invite all our guitar players to give it a try! In the educational hub, we have a number of videos and learning materials to help you get started with lute music, even if you don't have a lute yet.

Check out our resources today, or share this post with a friend who is interested in playing lute music!

Image taken from Vicenzo Capriola Lute book, page 38 of the IMSLP digital version.

(For instagram followers, find the link in our bio)
Pluck Lot's next online social will be held on Oct Pluck Lot's next online social will be held on October 17, 2026.

Your educational and entertaining Online social continues this October 2026, featuring exciting Renaissance Guitar and Cuatro celebrities. SaSa hosts a pot luck for pluckers, with a variety of content and an opportunity to network..

SaSa Sounds's Pluck Lot is a Recipient of a 2026 Early Music America Engagement 

Find the link to the Pluck Lot in our Linktree if you are on Instagram, or in the comments if you are on Facebook.

Can't wait until October? Find more Pluck Lot editions at:
https://www.youtube.com/@PluckLot
Last chance to join SaSa for this amazing performa Last chance to join SaSa for this amazing performance! Check it out if you’re near the North Carolina Museum!
We would like to remind everyone that we have loca We would like to remind everyone that we have local event meetups (chapters) happening across different states! If you are a new lute player or even play a different instrument and are interested in joining we hope this post inspires you to either join a chapter or create your own.

Figured Bass Workshop for Players of Modern Instruments (hosted in March 2026.)

In honor of Early Music Month 2026, the New York Chapter of the Lute Society of America hosted a one day workshop teaching Figured Bass for Modern Instrumentalists. This collaborative effort with Baroque Opera Workshop at Queens College allowed guitars, ukuleles, and cellos to play alongside period instruments from the same notation.

Most of the participants were already familiar with modern musical shorthands, such as lead sheets and chord charts, but were surprisingly curious about the history of how those shorthands came to be.

To join a local chapter, follow the link below to our website to get in touch with the chapter leader. If you are on Instagram, you can find the link in our bio.

https://lutesocietyofamerica.org/about/the-lsa/chapters/

#localchapters #community #earlymusic #baroque #guitar #ukulele #cello
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