The Vihuela Study Page
Interested in learning how to play the vihuela? Hopefully this page will be useful to new vihuela players and guitar players who wish to explore the repertoire. Here you will find videos, mp3 files of performances, mp3 files of commentaries, and text. If there is something you wish me to discuss, just email me - rob@vihuela.eu
To play along with the recordings, guitarists should tune their third string down a semitone to f#, and then place a capo on the third fret.
Much of the vihuela repertoire consists of polyphonic music - two or more independent lines, usually taken from religious works for voices. Articulating this on the vihuela is a considerable challenge, and the best place to start is with the relatively simple two-part 'duos' (actually just one instrument) by Fuenllana.
Duo Number 1 - Pleni de la missa Hercules, Josquin/Fuenllana
Here is the score in French tab, taken from Sarge Gerbode's wonderful free scores site
Here is an MP3 performance - vihuela by Richard Jones, all-gut Aquila strings, Venice basses in unison
And here is an MP3 of commentary
Any questions or comments, email me: rob@vihuela.eu
Four 'Easy' Sonetos by Enriques de Valderrabano
Here are the scores for the following four Sonetos 'primero grado' by Valderrabano.
These pieces are a useful introduction to fantasia-style compositions not necessarily based on vocal originals. Though mostly in two independent parts, there are occasional three-note chords. Please note that I have lowered the fourth fret a few millimeters by pushing towards the nut - Milan suggests doing this. It makes the tablature letter e on the third and second courses sound more sweetly at cadences. You don't have to do this, but it helps.
Soneto primero grado 92b MP3 file
Soneto primero grado 92a MP3 file - this is a 'parody' fantasia of Francesco da Milano's Ricercar (Ness 15). Here is an MP3 file of the Milan version followed immediately by another take of the Valderrabano version. You can hear how playing the Milan version first influenced my playing of the Valderrabano 'soneto'. Thanks to Dr John Griffiths for pointing this out to me.
Soneto primero grado 91b MP3 file
Soneto primero grado 91a MP3 file
Lesson in Polyphonic Playing
An excellent, down to earth lesson in polyphonic playing by David van Ooijen based on Fuenllana's duo from Josquin's Missa de Pangeligua. Follow this link.
Duo Number 8 - Fecit potentiam, Josquin/Fuenllana
Here is the score in French Tab, taken from Sarge Gerbode's site. Unfortunately there is a mistake in bar 6, but I have corrected it here.
And here is a video:
Any questions or comments, email me: rob@vihuela.eu
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