Transcript Tablature
Tablature Notation The earliest known printed example of German lute tablature: Sebastian Virdung, ‘Musica getutscht’ (1511) Notations and Musical Worlds System 1 System 2 Western staff notation representing sounds aural (ideal) manual aural (real) unified tradition tablatures: instrumental, pop… representing actions manual aural parted traditions, transcription may helps to bridge Tablature Notation from Latin tabula, table, score; It. intavolatura, Ger. Tabulatur use 2 systems of letters, numerals, diagrams or signs to indicate playing actions that produce the desired pitch and rhythm used since the early 14th c. mainly for organ and lute, and also for folk instruments—easy to learn Lute Tablature Rhythm note stems with beams above the notes for rhythm usually barred regularly consecutive rhythm may be abbreviated valid for all voices only the shortest of the notes are notated only the points of attack are notated, not the duration polyphony to be reconstructed rhythm: | = (shorten to ) German Lute Tablature Virdung, Musica getutscht, 1511 German Lute Tablature invented in 15th c. for 5-course (string) lute usual 16th-c. tuning: 4-4-3-4-4 in A German Lute Tablature system open first fret: second fret: fifth fret: +12345 Aabcde Bfghik E x y z & 9 (con) etc. etc. red letter=pitch German Lute Tablature r x e small cross Hans Neusidler, “Ich klag den tag,” Ein neues Lauttenbüchlein (Nürnberg, 1540) Hans Neusidler, “Ich klag den tag” extras small cross (+) = tone held longer dot = plucked with index finger T = general pause 1≠l (be musical!) Sample of Transcription (first 5 bars): Transcription: Steps meter, key function: for music or for playing voice-leading number of staff transposition Italian Lute Tablature Intabulatura de Lauto, Libro primo (Venice: Petrucci, 1507) Italian Lute Tablature with 6 lines for the 6 courses, bass on top! usual 16th-c. tuning: 4-4-3-4-4 in G Italian Lute Tablature system: 0 (open) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x extras: dot = plucked with index finger Sample of Transcription: French Lute Tablature usual 16th-c. tuning: 4-4-3-4-4 in G “nouveau ton” 1650: A-d-f-a-d’-f’ + several bass courses system: a (open) b c d e f French Lute Tablature appoggiatura c e Ennemond Gaultier (1575–1651): “Tombeau de Mezangeau,” Livre de Tablature des Pieces de Luth (Paris, 1664) French Lute Tablature: Sample of Transcription French Lute Tablature John Dowland (1562–1626): Flow, my tears (1600) Chinese Qin Jianzipu Simplified character notation for the sevenstring zither; part of the piece “Waters and Clouds of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers,” 1722 columns 1–4 contain the title and programme notes, and columns 5–8 and 10–12 give tablature symbols.