A BRIEF INTRODUCTION To the Playing on the Bass-Viol. The Second BOOK.
THe Viol (usually called) de Gambo, or Consort Viol, because the Musick thereon is play'd from the Rules of the Gam-vt, and not as the Lyra-Viol, which is by Letters or Tableture. Of this Viol de Gambo there are three several sizes, one larger than the other, according to the three Parts of Musick set forth in the Gam-vt, viz. Treble-Viol, Tenor-Viol, and Bass-Viol. The Treble-Viol plays the highest Part, and its Lessons are prick'd by the G sol re vt Cliff 〈☐〉; the Tenor-Viol, or middle part, its Lessons are by the C sol fa vt Cliff 〈☐〉; and the Bass-Viol, which is the lar∣gest, Page 92 its Lessons are by the F fa vt Cliff 〈☐〉 These three Viols agree in one manner of Tu∣ning; where I shall give you the Directi∣ons for Tuning the Bass-Viol, which is usually strung with six Strings (as you may observe on the Figure expressed in the foregoing page) which six strings are known by six se∣veral names; the first, which is the smallest, is called the Treble; the second, the small Mean; the third, the great Mean; the fourth, the Counter-Tenor; the fifth, the Tenor or Gam-vt string; the sixth, the Bass. But if you will name them after they are Tuned, ac∣cording to the Rule of the Gam-vt, the Tre∣ble string, is D la sol re; the smal Mean, A la mi re; the great Mean, E la mi; the Counter-Tenor, C fa vt; the Tenor or fifth string, Gam-vt; and the sixth or Bass, double D sol re. Belonging to these six strings there are seven Frets or Stops on the neck of your Viol, which are for stopping the various Sounds, accor∣ding to the several Notes of the Gam-vt, both Flats and Sharps: For the more plain under∣standing of which, I have drawn an exact Ta∣ble in the following pag. 88. beginning with the lowest Note on your sixth string, and so a∣scending to the highest on the first or Treble string. Your perfect understanding of that Page 93 Table will much further you in the know∣ledg of Tuning your Viol; for which Tuning I will give you two Rules, one by Tableture or Letters, the other by the Gam-vt Rule; the first being the easiest way to a Beginner, whose Ear at first is not well acquainted with the several distances of Sounds that the Strings are Tuned in, shall by this way use only one Sounding, viz. an Unison, which is to make two strings (one of them being stopt, the other not) to agree in one and the same sound: The Letters are Eight, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H; seven of these are assigned to the seven Frets on the Neck of the Viol; A is for the string open, so B is the first Fret, C the second, D the third, E the fourth, F the fifth, G the sixth, and H the seventh.
Example.
When you begin to Tune, raise your Treble or smallest string as high as conveni∣ently it will bear without breaking; then stop only your second or small Mean in F, and Page 94 tune it till it agree in sound with your Treble open; that done, stop your Third in F, and make it agree with your Second open; then stop your Fourth in F, and make it agree with your Third open; then stop your Fifth in F, and make it agree with your Fourth open; and lastly, stop your Sixth in F, and make it agree to your Fifth open. This being exact∣ly done, you will find your Viol in Tune, ac∣cording to the Rule of the Gam-vt.
Example, Tuning by Letters. 〈♫〉
Example, Tuning by Notes. 〈♫〉 D la sol re. A la mi re. E la mi. C fa vt. Gam-vt. D D sol re.
The other way of Tuning is by the Rule of the Gam-vt, by distances of Sounds, as in the foregoing Example, thus: The Treble being raised as high as it will conveniently bear without breaking, is called D la sol re, then tune your second four Notes lower, and it is A la mi re; the third four Notes lower Page 95 is E la mi; the fourth three Notes, or a f•at Third lower, is C fa vt; the fifth four Notes lower, is Gam-vt; and the sixth four Notes lower than the fifth, is double D sol re: This is the most usual way of Tuning it; yet there are some Lessons do require it one Note lower, which is double C fa vt, but that is very seldom.
Example of the Notes ascending and descending. 〈♫〉 〈♫〉 〈♫〉 〈♫〉
Page 96Your Viol being Tuned, practice to play this Example of the Notes ascending and de∣scending, and by it you shall know your Viol is right Tuned.
An exact Table, directing the Places of the Notes, Flat and Sharp, to every Stop on the Bass-Viol, according to the Gam-ut; beginning at the lowest Note of the Bass on the Sixth String, and ascending to the highest on the Treble.
6 String.
〈♫〉 Double D •ol re. Double E la mi. Flat. D D E la mi. Proper. D D Ffa ut. D D F fa ut. Sharp. Sixth string open. Sixth string first fret. Sixth string second fret. Sixth string third fret. Sixth st•ing fourth fret.
5. String.
〈♫〉 Gamut. Gamut sharp. A re. B mi flat. B mi proper. Fifth string open. fifth string •••st fret. fifth string second fret. fifth string third fret. fifth string fourth fret.
4 String.
〈♫〉 C fa ut. C fa ut, sharp. D sol re. E la mi, flat Fourth string open. fourth string first fret. fourth string second fret. fourth string fourth fret.
2 String.
〈♫〉 E la mi F fa ut F fa ut, sharp G sol re ut. G sol •e ut, sharp. Third string open. third string first f•et. third string second fret. third string third fret. third string fourth f•et.
2 String.
〈♫〉 A la mi re. B fa b mi, flat. B fa b mi. proper. •〈◊〉 fa ut. C sol fa ut, sharp. Second string open. second string first fret. second string second fret, second string third fret. second string fourth fret.
1 String.
〈♫〉 D la sol re E la mi, flat E la mi F fa ut E la ut sharp G sol r• ut. first string open. first string first fret. first string second fret. first string third fret. first string fourth fret. first string fifth fret.
It is usual in Lessons for the Bass-Viol, to change the Cliff where the Notes ascend a∣bove D la sol re, which is very necessary to Page 98 prevent the drawing of more lines above; therefore the Practitioner ought to be perfect in the C sol fa ut Cliff on the middle line, as you see in the five last Notes of the Table; also this Example mentions the like agreement of Notes in both Cliffs.
Example. 〈♫〉 〈♫〉
In this Example the Notes prick'd in the Tenor Cliff, are the same with those in the Bass or F fa ut Cliff, and are stopp'd in the same places on the Viol. This I thought fit to men∣tion, because you will meet with the change of Cliffs in the following Lessons.
Observe, that in the foregoing Table the Sharp (〈☐〉) before a Note makes it stopt a Fret lower, and a b Flat before a Note a Fret high∣er; for two Frets go to one whole or perfect Note, as that Table doth direct: Sometimes you may see a 〈☐〉 before D sol re, then it is stopt a Fret lower, which is the place of E la mi flat, so if a Flat is set before A la mi re, it is a Fret higher, which is G sol re ut 〈☐〉; the like of o∣ther flat or sharp Notes.
Page 99Also if a B flat or B sharp be set on Rule or Space at the beginning of any Line with the Cliff, that Flat or Sharp makes all the Notes which are in the same Rules or Spaces to be flat or sharp through the whole Lesson.
TREBLE-VIOL.
These Directions for the Bass-Viol do also serve the Treble-Viol, which is strung and tuned in the same manner, only eight Notes higher, G sol re ut on the Treble is the Eighth above G sol re ut on the Bass, being stopped on the same String and Fret with the Bass; and so other Notes accordingly.
TENOR-VIOL.
The Tenor-Viol is an excellent inward Part, and much used in Consort, especially in Fanta∣sies and Ayres of 3, 4, 5 and 6 parts. The Tuning of it is the same with the Bass and Treble, for the distance of sound betwixt each string; but being an Inward Part betwixt both, its Tuning is four Notes higher than the Bass, and five Notes lower than the Treble; its first or Treble string is tuned to G sol re ut on the third string of the Treble-Viol; its second four Notes lower, which is D la sol re; the third for Notes lower, is A la mì re; the fourth three Notes (or a flat Third) lower, is F fa ut; the fifth four Notes lower than it, is C fa ut; Page 100 and the sixth four Notes lower than the fifth, is Gam-vt; which is answerable to the Gam-vt on the Bass-Viol.
For the better understanding of these Tu∣nings severally, viz. Treble or Tenor, observe these two Examples of them, according as their six strings are Tuned by the several Di∣stances of Notes in the Gam-vt.
The Treble-Viol Tuning. 〈♫〉 1 2 3 4 5 6 String.
The fifth string on the Treble-Viol is the same with G sol re vt on the third string of the Bass-Viol.
The Tenor-Viol Tuning. 〈♫〉 1 2 3 4 5 6 String.
The fifth string of the Tenor-Viol is tuned to C fa vt or fourth string of the Bass-Viol.
For the Names of the Notes, and their Proportions of Time, I refer you to the fourth and seventh Chapters in the first Book.
