Luteshop's Top Tips - Plucking Strings

A brief guide (mostly for beginners) to plucking strings on the lute with the thumb-inside technique.

[@jsmonges]

Even though I've played classical guitar for many years, I'm realizing how much I don't know about the lute. Thanks for these videos, they'll be really helpful!

[@renaissance9932]

Im 15 and decided to learn the lute, I will not let the lute die 😤

[@apollbro7957]

same brother

[@sorntorkelson6119]

I'm 16 and play classical guitar. I'd love to play lute, but they are just so damn expensive.

[@GunsNRoosendael]

@@sorntorkelson6119 There's some affordable options out there. But affordable as in over 1K, but in perspective with a high end guitar, it's about the same as a Gibson or high end Fender would cost.

[@Philrc]

@@GunsNRoosendael gibsons ? fenders? the comparison has to be with classical guitars surely

[@snickelman]

Going to make an extremely obscure reference: Watching this video is like reading Erdnase.

[@iberius9937]

I love the interior and atmosphere of this man's home. Very Mediterranean. Nice lesson.

[@susannekalejaiye4351]

Thank you, yes, thank you for both sharing your knowledge and making the videos, and yes please more of these.

[@jsguitargeek1432]

This was a brilliant tutorial. Thank you very much

[@ricardoarnt5886]

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, sir!

[@187brokeN]

Please keep on making these videos !

[@danielsebrian4330]

Thank you so much for your videos Martin!

[@Marianofrv]

Beautiful explanation

[@silmarilasmr6801]

I love this guy, alright, you’ve got a new subscriber 👌🥰

[@alphamale3141]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@JoelAdamson]

"Under my thumb" 🎵

[@Goodmorningroosterlive]

Well done. I teach for many years but other instruments. I'm new to Lute. Thanks for a great video. i'm not used to the thumb on the inside position. Do you think a guitarist who plays thumb outside should continue doing so on lute because of hard ingrained muscle memory already acquired? Or should I try to learn thumb inside at 40 years old?

[@luteshop]

Historically, most players used thumb inside before 1600 and thumb outside after. It's certainly easier to play the earlier music thumb inside. You will find that you cannot directly transfer your guitar playing to thumb outside on the lute and you will have to devise a method which allows you to play both strings of a course simultaneously. Whichever you choose to do, good luck!

[@caneti3]

1:20 You Must See If You Want To PLay Lute. 100% Recommended

[@jake.the.riffer]

Im a guitar player, but lately I really want to buy a Renaissance Lute and learn to play. 😬

[@JuanDeMarias]

Thanks for the video. 2 questions: How different is the plucking of the m and a fingers, you just talked about the index. Also, are the nails used traditionally at all or is it a choice? Thanks

[@luteshop]

The m and a fingers pluck in the same way as the index, though because of their different lengths they start in different places. The a finger is not used much except for chords. Playing with nails is possible but probably better with a "thumb-outside" technique. The important thing is that both strings of a course are played together and simultaneously.

[@MacKenziePoet]

May I please ask how you are stabilizing the right hand? Is it by the little finger touching the sound board???

[@luteshop]

Yes the little finger rests lightly on the soundboard. This is a consistent feature of historical lute technique and persisted into early 19th century guitar technique. In the baroque period, when lutenists were playing with the thumb outside the fingers (as in modern guitar) they still rested the little finger, close to the bridge, on top of the bridge, or even behind the bridge.

[@yuridanylko]

How about fast scales? Does this use flamenco techniqur?

[@luteshop]

Fast runs are usually played with alternating thumb and index finger. In the 16th century, this was the preferred technique for most runs (thumb-inside). After 1600, with thumb-outside, slower runs were usually played middle-index, fast runs thumb-index.

[@yuridanylko]

@@luteshop Clear answer, thank you (:

[@Philrc]

it's very close to classical guitar technique but with lutes isn't the index finger also used to play down strokes?

[@luteshop]

In renaissance lute tablatures the single dot below a note means it is struck upwards with a finger (not necessarily the index finger, though in later tablatures two dots are used for middle finger). According to Le Roy, dot below a chord means play without the thumb, and in his music and that of Albert de Rippe you often find 3-note chords marked like this, often preceded by a bass note played with the thumb - in this case you play the 3-note chord with ima just like you would if you played them simultaneously with the bass note. In later French baroque lute music a dot next to a chord can mean a brushing downstroke with the index finger. The vihuelists also used a technique called "dedillo" for fast scale passages where the index finger plays up- and downstrokes alternately, like a plectrum player would today.

[@Philrc]

@@luteshop i was only asking about playing downstrokes with the index finger. I've just watched a video of a lutist doing just that , especially with a scale, So i presume that is a standard technique. As a classical guitarist I'd love to also have a lute but sadly that are way too expensive

[@sarabelleimaginary]

Arthritis? 🤔