Playing with patterns on the lute : a study and method for playing sixteenth-century divisions / Nigel North.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

North, Nigel, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Embellishment (Music)--16th century.

Embellishment (Music).

Lute--Methods.

Lute.

Lute music--16th century--Analysis, appreciation.

Lute music.

Lute music--Analysis, appreciation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2025]

Summary:

"Through a comprehensive study of the sixteenth-century lute repertoire, in Playing with Patterns, Nigel North provides a clear and detailed method for all lutenists who wish to learn how to ornament their music with divisions. While there are methods for wind and stringed instruments by writers such as Ortiz, Rognioni, and Bassano, there are no surviving methods from the sixteenth century for learning these skills specifically on the lute. There are, however, a wealth of examples in thousands of European lute tablatures. Through an analysis of the divisions used by sixteenth-century lutenists in these tablature sources, North has extracted a method for the modern lutenist and explains, with multiple examples, how Renaissance lutenists approached their division-making. Eleven Tablature Case Studies form a central place in this work, and the lutenist composers from whom patterns have been extracted include Hans Newsidler, Alonso Mudarra, Luis de Narvaez, Francesco da Milano, Vincenzo Galilei, Giovanni Terzi, Adrian Le Roy, John Johnson, and John Dowland. From their music, North has created The Missing Tutor with over 100 exercises"-- Oxford Academic.

'Playing with Patterns on the Lute' is a practical guide for lutenists of all levels who want to learn how to ornament their music with sixteenth-century divisions. It gives a method for studying and learning this skill, about which there are no other such in-depth books. Written by leading lutenist and teacher Nigel North, the book is full of examples and comprehensive analyses of divisions taken from original sixteenth-century sources of lute music.

Contents:

Graces

General rules

Twelve types of divisions

Tablature case studies : introduction

Nach willen dein, Paul Hofhaimer (1459–1537) : three versions by Hans Newsidler (1536 and 1544)

Je prens en gre, Clemens non papa (ca. 1510–ca. 1555) : as set by Mattheus Waisell (1573)

Mille regretz, attributed to Josquin des Prez (ca. 1450–1521) : as set by Luis Narvaez (1538)

Greensleeves, anon. : a treble and ground duet

Passemeze (passamezzo antico), Adrian Le Roy : a briefe and easye instruction, London (1568)

Fantasia a dui liuti, Francesco da Milano : Castelfranco ms. extract

Contrapunto primo, Bernardo Monzino : Fronimo dialogo, Vincenzo Galilei, Venice, 1584, pp. 178–179

The queen’s treble, John Johnson (ca. 1545–1594) : a treble and ground duet

Sir John Smith, his almain, John Dowland : a varietie of lute-lessons, London (1610)

Ricercata per viola bastarda, e lauto : Aurelio Virgiliano, Il dolcimelo (c. 1600–1620), libro secondo

Chanson : Susanne un jour, Lassus : a contrapunto lute duet in bastarda style by Giovanni Terzi (1593)

Cadences

Triads : explanation and examples

Static

Intervals

Guided lessons in building patterns

Practice piece #1 : Twinkle, Twinkle

Practice piece #2 : Arbeau pavane : Belle qui tiens ma vie

Ground #1 : La Gamba (Cara Cosa)

Ground #2 : Passamezzo antico

Ground #3 : Passamezzo moderno

Ground #4 : Romanesca

Anchor che col partire, Cipriano de Rore.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Online resource; title from home page (Oxford Academic, viewed February 9, 2026).

Other Format:

Print version: North, Nigel. Playing with patterns on the lute

ISBN:

9780197808764

019780876X

OCLC:

1548661906

Publisher Number:

CIPO000314113

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license