You Will Raise A Little Your 4th Fret

CORONA-ALCALDE
ANTONIO
wil
'You
an
raise
Equivocal
Luis
4th
your
Instruction
fret':
little
by
Milan?
We have seen playerswho.try to play in the fourthmode using the

[same]fretsthatthey use for playingin the sixth,and fail, until they
change the frets accordingto their keen ears.
fol. civ.
deInstrumentos,
J. Bermudo,Declaratidn
HE first known book of music for vihuela, El Maestroby Luis Milan,

is a work intended - as its name shows - to teach a complete
beginner. To achieve this end Milan presents a series of pieces of increasing
difficulty, providing each with a rubric that specifies its mode and, in some
cases, the tempo and directions about the right-hand techniques best suited to
play certain pieces. While placing the emphasis on the recognition of the
modes and their correct cadences, he also supplies some indications that
imply different tunings for the vihuela and, in two separate instances,
directions to shift fret IV? From a study of the tablaturethese last instructions
seem unnecessary at first sight; furthermore, a number of other pieces also
requirea different position for this fret, and for these Milan offers no directions
to alterits position. This problem is closely linked with the use oftemperaments
other than equal, since the fret positions on the fretboard are determined by
the temperament in use as well as by the functions they have to fulfil.
The use of equal temperament in fretted instruments during the sixteenth
century has been explored at some length byJ. MurrayBarbour, who arrived
at the conclusion that this temperament, or some variety approaching it, was
probably favoured? This is confirmed in sources ranging chronologically
from the work of G. M. Lanfranco (1533) to that of M. Mersenne (16361637), including the treatises of two Spanish authors: Juan Bermudo and
Barbour accepts, however, that other temperaments may
Francisco
Salinas.4
have been used, such as the Pythagorean with untempered fourths and fifths,
and the meantone, where the fifths were sacrificed in favour of pure or
moderately tempered thirds and sixths.5 These two temperaments are of
special interest for the music of the vihuela. The Pythagorean is discussed by
Bermudo, who gives three different ways to fret the vihuela, in ascending
order of difficulty. In the first place he shows how to place the diatonic frets
(queformantono),that is, frets II, IV, V, VII, IX and X, and advises the reader
to place the remaining frets according to this rule: 'If it is to be afa [i.e. flat],
place it closer to the side of the nut, and if it is to be a mi [i.e. sharp], place it
2
This content downloaded from 192.87.31.20 on Sat, 29 Aug 2015 10:09:04 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
towards the side of the bridge.'6 The second manner is an extension of the
first:Bermudo describes a series of elaborate geometrical calculations which
allow one to determine with precision the position of all the frets, diatonic as
well as chromatic; these last ones are I, III, VI and VIII, and may be placed in
two different positions depending on whether they serve to provide flats or
sharps.In Bermudo's view it was feasible to imagine seven different vihuelas,
that is, to assume seven different tunings for the same instrument; each
tuning would thus have a particular combination of sharp and flat frets.
In order to illustrate these combinations Bermudo also provides the
corresponding diagrams.7These directions are meant for a vihuela fretted
with the Pythagorean temperament, where semitones have to be either
minor or major, but a third set of instructions shows how to place the frets
so 'all semitones can be played' ('quese tangantodoslos semitonos'),that is, a
sort of equal temperament.8 Bermudo claims the authorship of this last
system, and it can therefore be regarded as something of a novelty around
1555? The meantone temperament is hinted at in the rules for tuning the
vihuela and monochord of Tomas de Santa Maria's Arte de TatierFantasia,
where he states that 'each fifth should be a little flat' but, since Santa Maria
deals with the vihuela only in passing, his advice is more likely to be
directed towards the keyboard player.lo
The main problem posed by the use of any temperament other than
equal in fretted instruments is the existence of what may be called 'missing
notes' on the fretboard. This means that if a particular fret is in a 'flat'
position and a sharp note is required on some course, it will not be usable in
that particular fret and vice-versa. The fretboard locations where this
combination appearscorrespond to missing notes: notes that do not exist, at
least from a theoretical point of view. This characteristic is pointed out by
Bermudo in the following terms:
It happensthata fret is sharpand thusit muststandfor four or five courses,but it
shouldbe flatfor the otherone or two. Forexample,in the firstandfifth fretsof the
gamaut[i.e. G] vihuela:it is truethatany fourth[course]stoppedat the fourthfret
forms a unison with the open third [course]; therefore, the aforesaidfourth
[course]stoppedat the fifth [fret] shouldagreewith the third [course]stoppedat
the first [fret],but in thisgamautvihuelait does not happenso. The causeof this is
the following:the firstfret is flat andthe fifth is sharp... If the firstfret was to be
placed closer to the nut, transformingit from a sharpto a flat, a faultlessunison
would be formed,but in the way it is placeda unisonis not formed.Youwill findin
many other frets what I have shown for these two."
Bermudo shows, in each of his diagrams, the location of these missing
notes by means of blank spaces (see Ex. 1, which shows the gamaut or
G vihuela).
The presence or absence of notes which are theoretically 'missing' can
provide the basis to determine if a particular tablature was intended for an
instrument fretted for an equal or unequal temperament: the consistent
absence of 'missing notes' betrays a high probability that such a tablature
3
1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 X
EX. 1.
9 gt
was destined for an instrument fretted for an unequal temperament. On the

basis of this kind of evidence Mark Lindley has suggested that it is very
likely that Luis Milan used the meantone temperament.12Part of Lindley's
argument lies on two of Milan's rubrics, which instruct the player to shift
the position of fret IV.13The first part of this article will be devoted to
reconsidering the first rubric, placed at the head of Fantasia14, limiting the
evidence used here to the pieces for solo vihuela from the first book of
El Maestro.This discussion intends to show that, in the limited context of the
first book, there seems to be an inconsistency between the instructions
provided by this rubric and the actual use of fret IV. The evidence provided
by the second book of El Maestropresents further complexities, which will
make it necessary to modify somewhat the preliminary conclusions drawn
from the first book's pieces and, ultimately, question some of Lindley's
conclusions; this study is undertaken in the second part of the article.14
PART I
It has been generally accepted that the A tuning is the most appropriate for
the transcription of Milan's works, and it is indeed the best one for most of
the first book.'5 If we assume, following Lindley, that Milan used a
meantone fretting, the tablature must therefore present missing notes.
Among the diagrams which Bermudo published, he included one for an A
vihuela that defines the sharp or flat function of the frets and identifies the
'missing notes that appear on this tuning', but does not pretend to show
graphically the position where the frets must be located. The difference
between the Pythagorean and meantone temperaments resides in the actual
position of the frets; but, since the sharp and flat functions behave in a
similar fashion, it is valid to use Bermudo's diagrams in order to illustrate a
meantone fretting scheme, despite the fact that they were originally
intended to show a Pythagorean fretting, bearing in mind that the only
thing these diagrams show is, precisely, functions. For clarity's sake the
diagram (Ex. 2) is shown here with the first course on the upper line, just as
it is used in Milan's tablature. In this diagram fret IV has a sharp function
with a missing note on course 3: Eb. The examination of some examples of
how Milan uses this fret in Fantasia1 (Ex. 3) discloses that it agrees with the
theoretical diagram, fulfilling the function of sharp. Similar examples can
be found in Fantasias2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 21 and 22; in Pavans 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6;
and in Fantasia 14, where the rubric concerning the fret shift is to be found.
4
EX. 2.
6 7
i,
i,
aIt
G
DD A
EX. 3.
Fantasia 1
00 ? "
dA
-o
45-46
6- 1w
73-74
W5
67
It is worthwhileto classifythese pieces accordingto the modes to which

they belong, following Milan'srubricsat the head of each:
1st& 2ndmodes:Fantasias
1, 2, 4, 6; Pavan1.
3rd& 4th modes:Fantasias
7, 8, 9, 14:Pavan2.
7th & 8th modes:Fantasias
18, 21, 22; Pavans4, 5, and6.
Thisclassificationis speciallyrelevant,sincethe rubricunderconsideration
excludesall othermodalcomplexes,appearingaftera seriesof piecesin the
same modal group,namelythe 3rd-4th, Aeolian or E modal complex.It
readsas follows:
Whenever
inwhichthisfantasia
youplaythefourthandthirdmodesbytheterminos
goes:youshouldraisethefourthfreta little,sothatthenoteof thesaidfretwillbe
strongandnot weak.'6
There are threepointsto considerin thisrubric:the precisemeaningof
the word terminos,
the directionof the shift (asindicatedby the word alCar,
'to raise'),andthe words'strong'and 'weak'(fuerteandflacorespectively).
I take to mean the general scheme in which the notes of any
Terminos
particularmode fit in the fretboardof anyparticulartuningfor the vihuela,
and thereforeit could be synonymouswith assumedtuning;but this is a
matterthatwill be dealtwith more fully later.The directionof the shift is
clarifiedin two other rubrics;the instructionthat appearsat the head of
Fantasia17 states:
Thepresentfantasia
on thevihuelaasthepastone,
goesthroughthesameterminos
andit goesdownto the tenthfretof the vihuela.. .17
The otherrubricthatindicatesa shiftin the positionof fret IV, placedat
the head of the RomanceConpavorrecordo
el moro,in the secondbook of
El Maestroreadsas follows:
5
[When]playingthroughthesepartson the vihuela,you shouldraisethe fourthfret

a little towardsthe pegs of the vihuela.18
According to these instructions 'down' means towards the bridge and 'to
raise' means towards the head of the vihuela; this indicates that the result of
raising the fret is effectively to lower the sound since the string-length is
increased. The third point poses more problems: weak and strong are
subjective ways of referring to the quality of the sound, and a precise
answer is difficult. Lindley interprets these terms as a description of the
quality of the thirds produced between fret IV and the open string, but I
would rather suggest that they indicate the different effect a major or minor
semitone would achieve.19The rubric states that 'the note should be strong',
and this last word might more plausibly indicate the leading-note effect a mi
or sharpened note would have. If this is the case, the hypothesis should find
support in the music itself. As already pointed out, the general tendency
suggests that fret IV should be sharp, and in Fantasia14 no exception is to be
found; in fact, the missing Ek6in course 3 is used as DO (see Ex. 4), which
confirms the function of the fret and offers a solid basis for the theory that
fuerte might mean a leading-tone quality. In view of the considerations
expressed above, the rubric to Fantasia 14 could be translated in modern
terms as follows: 'Whenever you play the 3rd and 4th modes in the
[assumed] A tuning, you should lower fret IV a little towards the pegs, so
that its notes will be sharp and not flat.' This interpretation is consistent
with the meantone temperament, where the sharp is lower than the flat.20
On the other hand, it argues against a Pythagorean fretting scheme, whose
sharps are higher than its flats, since it would imply shifting the fret to a flat
position that is completely inconsistent with the function it has to fulfil.
EX. 4.
Fantasia 14
1-3
Looking more closely at the distribution of the pieces in the 3rd and 4th
modes, it emerges that Fantasia 14 is the last of the fantasias of this modal
group, and that the only later piece that belongs to this group is Pavan 2 (see
Appendix 1). In other words, the rubric appears at the end of the series of
fantasias: this is not the best place, if it is intended for a beginner on the
instrument who would find, upon reaching this point, that he might have
played all the previous fantasias of the 3rd and 4th modes with a fret out of
6
place. Yet, the rubric seems to apply retroactively the the fantasias
preceding it; the wording siemprequemeans 'whenever', with the additional
force behind it of the normal meaning of siempreas 'always'. There is,
however, a difference between this fantasia and the other pieces in the 3rd
and 4th modes: Fantasia14 evinces a fuller use of fret IV. Whereas fret IV is
used only for courses 2 and 4 in the preceding fantasias and in Pavan 2, in
Fantasia 14 it is used for courses 2, 3, 4 and 5. This exceptional usage could
justify the special rubric, but, on the other hand, the use of two more
courses could merely be an extension of the same principle.
This question may be answered through an examination of the way in
which Milan uses fret IV in some of the earlier fantasias(see Ex. 5). While
EX. 5.
a) Fantasia7
18-19
26-27
64-65
122
b) Fantasia8
44-45
47-48
c) Fantasia9
6-8
100
82-83
e%-#,
_u'K-,5
in Fantasia12 thereareno examplesas clear-cutas these, it can be inferred

thatits functionshouldbe similar,thatis: in the whole groupof pieces fret
IVhasa sharpfunction.Thisalsoappliesto Pavan2, whereseveralinstances
of this use can be found. Ex. 6 confirmsthat fret IV exhibitsexactlythe
EX. 6.
1-3
Fantasia14
8-9
11-12
44
samefunctionof sharpin Fantasia14; furthermore,the asteriskedchordis

foundin all the previousfantasias,or, as in Fantasia8, bar44 (see Ex. 5b),
with one of the notes arrivingafterthe others;it is also the final chordof
Pavan2. Surelythereis no reasonto supposethatthe finalchordof Fantasia
14wasintendedto sounddifferentlyfromthe finalchordsof Fantasia7 (see
Ex. 5a) and Pavan2. This evidence shows that the rubricto Fantasia14
makessense only if it appliesto all the pieces of the 3rd and 4th modes
intabulatedassumingan A tuning.
It is worthwhilenow to pose the question:is the rubricnecessaryat all?It
hasalreadybeen shown(p. 5) thatthe sharpfunctionof fret IV alsoappears
in piecespertainingto othermodes,so thisindicationto move the fret to a
position it should, theoretically, already occupy if the meantone
temperamentis used, or to a flat position in the case of a Pythagorean
temperament,seems inconsistentand illogical. It is feasible to adduce
furtherevidence to supportthis hypothesis.The chordillustratedin Ex. 7
appearsin Fantasia14; its dispositionpresentsan octavebetween the B of
course 4 and the B of course 1. If the octave is achievedby the shift of
fret IV, and the rubricappliesonly to the piecesof the 3rd and4th modes,
this chordshouldnot be found in pieces belongingto other modes, but it
occursin Fantasia6, whichis describedby Milanaspertainingto the 1stand
2nd modes (Ex. 8). This fantasiaevinces even a fuller use of fret IV: it is
EX. 7.
Fantasia14
EX. 8. Fantasia
6
8
8
used for all the courses save for course 6, and its function is, again, that of a
sharp fret, to the extent of using the missing E6 of course 3 as D# (see Ex. 9)
as it happens in Fantasia 14 (see Ex. 4).
EX. 9.
Fantasia6
EX. 10.
EX. 11.
?X
96-97
Furtherproofof the stablepositionrequiredof fretIVis providedby the

cadentialfigureshownin Ex. 10: this figurecan be foundin Fantasias1, 4
and 6, belonging to the 1st and 2nd modes; and in Fantasias7 and 9,
belongingto the 3rd and 4th. There is still more evidence to supportthe
need for fret IV to remainin the sameposition:the G majorchord,when
foundin the dispositionshownin Ex. 11, has the B naturalin fret IV. This
chordis found,in severalthree-notecombinations,in pieces belongingto
the three modalgroupsalreadymentioned:1st/2nd,3rd/4th and 7th/8th;
Ex. 12 shows some of these cases.
As theseexamplesshow,the use of fretIVis consistentthroughoutall the
examined pieces; this confirmation questions, for the moment, the
usefulnessand validity of the rubric to Fantasia14, since it apparently
requiresthe shiftingof the fret to a positionwhere it hasto fulfil the same
functionthatit had servedfor all the pieces precedingit, as well as for a
good numberof the pieces thatfollow, belongingto threedifferentmodal
groups.Yet this is not all. If a temperamentother thanequalwas used by
Milan, thereis an actualneed to shift fret IV for some pieces, but for this
Milan offers no indication.Before embarkingon this subjectit will be
helpful to make a digressionin order to clarify a word that has already
appeared:terminos.
In previouswritings,terminos
has been translatedas 'endings',meaning
the end of the piece, presumablycoincidingwith thefinalisof the mode, or
the notes in which the internalcadencesfinish?1This is not necessarily
wrong, but it is not exact either,and it can be misleading.In a literalway
terminomeans end, but it also means limits or boundaries,and, in my
opinion, Milan uses it metaphoricallyin this last sense.22The rubricto
with the
Fantasia1 shows clearlythatMilandoes not confuse the terminos
cadencesor the end:
Lookwellatthecadences
thesaidfantasia
ithasandwhere
makes,andwhatterminos
it ends:becausein it youwillseeeverything
thatthefirstmodecanrightfully
do.3
Since the cadencesand the endingsare referredto separatelyfrom the
it is clear that this last word must mean somethingelse. Further
terminos,
9
clarification is found in the rubric to Fantasia 2:

The fantasiawrittenbelow belongsto the firstmode, andit shouldbe playedwith a
hurriedbeat,andit goes by the sameterminos
on the vihuelaasthe previousfantasia,
becausein theseterminos
the musicis easieron the vihuelathanin otherswhere the
musicwould riseabovethe fifthfret, andin orderto makethemlessdifficultfor the
beginner,it goes by these easy terminos.24
EX. 12.
Fantasia1
(1st mode)
Pavan2
(3rdand4th
4
63
78
Fantasia7
24
Pavan4
(7thand8th
(3rdmode)
83
modes)
27
36
modes)
37
Fantasia4
(2nd mode)
13
Fantasia14
(3rdand4th
modes)
3
12
Fantasia18
(7thand 8th
modes)
45-46
In this context the mode (and presumablyits cadences and end) is

which is relatedto the
mentionedindependentlyfrom the word terminos,
vihuelaitself. Furthermore,it impliesthatthe 1stmode is easierto play in
these terminos:
from this it can be inferredthatthe termis a practicalone.
are changedthe musicwill be
The rubricalso mentionsthatif the terminos
playedhigheron the fretboard,andthismeanseithera transpositionof the
hasbeen definedabove
music,or a changein the assumedtuning25Termino
as the generalschemein which the notes of any particularmode fit on the
10
fretboardof anyparticulartuningfor the vihuela,pointingout thatit could

be consideredassynonymousof 'assumedtuning'.The reasonfor thisis that
every mode (with its own range and particularcadence-notesalready
predeterminedby the theory)will form a differentanddistinctpatternon
the fretboard,and these patternswill be determinedby the tuning,which
defineswhat note will be found in any specificlocationon the fretboard.
All these elementscombinetogetherto delimitthe available'instrumental
territory'where the fingersof the left hand will move.26
It is convenientto examinehere the way in which Milan handlesthe
or rather,thatof a 'changeof terminos'.
In Fantasias1-15
conceptof terminos,
the only commentconcerningthe terminos
(wheneverthe word appears),is
thatthe piece in questionis in the sameterminos
as the precedingone. If all
thesepiecesaretranscribedwith anA tuning,the fundamentalnote of their
final chordswill coincide with the correctnaturalfinalis of the mode to
which they belong (see Ex.
The rubricto Fantasia16 statesthat the
13).7
have changed(see Appendix
terminos
2): if the tuningis still assumedasA,
the finalchordwill not be builtuponthe correctfinalis
butuponBb (Ex. 14a);
if, on theotherhand,thetuningis assumedasE theresultingchordwillbe built
upon the correctfinalisof the 5th and6th modes:F (Ex. 14b).This observationalso appliesto Fantasia17, whose rubricinformsthatit has the same
asthe precedingpiece. Althoughthe rubricto Fantasia18 makesno
terminos
referenceto the terminos,
the 7th and8th modesappearfor the firsttime in
this piece, and the A tuning producesthe correctfinalis, G (Ex. 15). In
Fantasia19 Milan returnsto the 5th mode, againwithout any indication
EX. 13.
a) Fantasias
1,2,13:1stmode
4:
10:
b) 3:
5:
6:
c) 7:
14:
2nd mode
1st and 2nd
1st
2nd
1st and 2nd
3rd
3rd and 4th
d) 8:
4th
9:
e) 12:
f) 15:
19:
a]
b)
__
f)
.
.
0-
3rd and 4th

3rd and 4th
5thand6th
5th
EX. 14.
o
-
EX. 15.
a)
b)
11
aboutthe terminos:
the tuningthatworksbestis stillA (Ex. 13f). Fantasia20
is mentioned,
belongs to the 6th mode, but this time a changeof terminos
with a resultsimilarto thatfoundin Fantasias16 and 17 (Ex. 14b).Fantasias
20 and 21 belong to the 7th and 8th modes respectively,and come out
correctlyif they areconsideredas being intendedfor anA tuning,asin the
caseof Fantasia18 (Ex. 15). Applyingthe samecriterionthe correcttuning
for the pavansis A. A clear pictureemerges from this:A tuning is used
throughoutthe solo part of the first book, with the exception of three
fantasias,all of thembelongingto the 5th/6thmodalcomplex,andfor these
a change of terminos
is distinctlyindicatedby Milan.
It may not alwaysseem reliableto use the final chord as a conclusive
criterionto establishthe finalis of the mode (and thereforethe tuning),
takinginto accountthat,as Milanhimselfstates,thischorddoes not always
correspondto the final cadence:
donotfinishwitha [proper]
Allof thefantasias
cadence,sincesomefinishinaclose
andwhentheyfinishthusyoushallnottakeasthefinalcadencethe
orconsonance,
saidclose,butthe lastcadencemadein the fantasiabeforethe close.28
This considerationis merely academic for the practicalpurpose of
determiningthe tuning:even thoughsomepiecesmayfinishwith a seriesof
consonances,the final chord is invariablybased on the same note as the
conclusivechordof the final cadence(see Ex. 16)?9There is, besides,still
EX. 16.
Fantasia20
301
%
41
209-214
01
310
,10 .
[cadence
Lconsonance
anotherway to corroboratethe conclusionsstatedabove. Eachparticular

tuning (assumedor real) has a specific structureon the fingerboard,
determined by the place where the natural notes, and therefore the
semitones,are found. If the semitonesin the tablaturecoincidewith those
in a theoreticaldiagram,the tuning can be recognizedwith a reasonable
degreeof certainty.To illustratethispoint, Ex. 17 showsthe diagramsthat
correspondto the A andE tunings.The accidentalnotes thatappearin the
tablaturecanbe accountedfor by the frequencywith whichthey appear,or
by takinginto considerationthe conventionsthatruledtheirnormalusage,
suchas the consistentsubstitutionof B ~ for B6 in the 5th and6th modesor
FOinsteadof Fk for the 7th and8th?oOn the otherhand,Ex. 18 provides
12
EX.
17.
22'"
Fantasia6
578
234
EX. 18.
1 2t34L5
Fantasia
16
EX. 19.
i 1i
2v
"
3 I64,
5v
Fantasia 14
v
+atai
{Eb
A
the diagramsof two pieces (Fantasia14 in A, and 16 in E), showingall the

fretboardlocationsused in the course of them. The diagramsin Ex. 19
correspondto the same pieces, now with the accidentalnotes indicated.
Theseexamplesshow the completestructuraldifferencebetweenthe pieces
inA andE tunings,andsincethey agreewith thoseobtainedbasedsolelyon
the theory, it may be concludedthat the originalpropositionis correct.
meansa transposition,it is
Havingestablishedthat a changeof terminos
worthwhileto rememberthatBermudo,when referringto the intabulation
of music,statesthatthe playershave two differentoptionsto achievethis
end: 'they either changethe musicfor the instrument,or they changethe
instrumentfor the music';he also describesthe 'changingof the music'as
the old usage, as opposed to the changingof the instrumentwhich he
considersthe practiceof his time31The final result is the same in the
tablature,regardlessof the systemusedto intabulate,andis of consequence
13
the music,in whichcasethe resultwill dependupon

only when transcribing
the criterion adopted for the transcription.The choice lies between
transcribingwith the naturalnotes (assuminga 'changeof instrument'),or
transposingthe music (if the 'changeof music'is adoptedas a criterion).
The decisionaboutwhichmethodto use mustbe determinedby the context
in which the piece is found,or the intendeduse of the transcription.I have
chosen to speakabout'A andE tunings'ratherthannaturalor transposed
modes for two reasons:first, because the different tunings show more
clearly the different use of the available notes of the fretboard,and
secondly,becauseit is most probablethatthismay havebeen the criterion
The rubricto Fantasia38 provides
adoptedby Milanto define his terminos.
the evidence that supportsthis hypothesis:
Thisfantasia
thatfollowsbelongsto the6thmode... the8thmaybeplayedinthese
sameplaces.Thedifference
isthat,whilebothfinishinthesamenote[i.e.fretboard
it
will
be
F
if it is the 6th,andG if it is the 8th32
called
location]
The finalcadenceof this fantasiais reproducedin Ex. 20, which shows
thatthefinalisof the superius
is foundat the thirdfretof the firstcourse?3If
this fretboardlocationis namedF, the open stringmustproduceda D, and
the tuningwill thereforebe thatof a vihuelain D. On the otherhand,if the
samelocationis namedG when playingin the 8th mode, the open string
will produce an E, correspondingto the tuning of an E vihuela. This
referenceprovesthatMilanmay have very well followed the trendof the
vihueliststhat 'changedthe instrument'.Bearingthe above considerations
in mind, the correcttranslationof termino
could be either'assumedtuning'
or 'transposition
of the mode',the formerbeingthe mostappropriatein the
context of the works of Milan.
Fantasia38
EX. 20.
-3
.
..
EF#
I
II
.1,I
222-227
-E
B
E
D vihuela
V'kI
I0 o.._
0
'dl.
"
.,-,
S----JI
J.
II
iO
I!
l
-1
II
CI3]C3I
I3
Comingbackto the casein whichthereis a realneedto move fretIV,it is

preciselyin the pieces transposedto anE tuningthatthe evidenceof a new
functionfor thisfretappears,namelythatof a flatorfa fret. In the courseof
thesepieces a semitonebetweenfretsIV andV, or betweenfret IV andthe
14
open course above, never occurs, as opposed to the pieces in A tuning

discussed above. On the contrary, the semitone is always found between
frets III and IV; the case illustrated in Ex. 21 is typical. This general
tendency does not provide, however, conclusive evidence of the need to
displace the fret to a flat position. This evidence will be found among the
chords used in these pieces. In the fantasias in A tuning already examined
the chords that use fret IV can be reduced to the G major mentioned above,
E major and D major (Ex. 22). In the context of the first book of El Maestro,
these chord-shapes are nowhere to be found among the chords using fret IV
in the E-tuning pieces, while, on the other hand, these latter pieces have
chords using fret IV which are not to be found among the pieces in A tuning
(Ex. 23). These chords, besides the basic fact of their difference, show
clearly the new function of fret IV. Among the A-tuning pieces already
considered, whenever this fret was involved in an octave, this was formed
with the aid of a note on fret II, which is 'sharp'as well (see Ex. 7 and Ex. 8),
while in the new chords the octave is formed above a note on fret I, that is, a
flat fret (Ex. 24). If fret IV were to remain in a sharp position, a case of 'mi'
against fa', sharp against flat, would ensue, with an inadmissible result in
actual sound since these notes are not equivalent in an unequal
temperament?4
EX. 21.
Fantasia 16
EX. 22.
31
EX. 23.
.-1n
EX. 24.
64
Fantasia 16
06
69
The relevance that Bermudo's writings might have in the context of

Milan's music may be disputable, but it is noteworthy that this theoretician
considered fret IV as diatonic, and therefore as fixed. The only case in
which he considers it necessary to move it is for the vihuela tuned in B.35If
the E-tuning fantasias were transcribed assuming instead the B tuning, the
resultingfinalis would be C; besides, the consistent use of B gives rise to a
15
scale structuresimilarto that of a modem majormode: in brief, such a

transcriptionwould yield as a result fantasias in C major (using
the modem term).This transpositionwas the most usual
anachronistically
for the 5th and6th modesduringthe periodwhen the vihuelaflourished?6
This evidencecouldbe consideredas an indirectconfirmationof the need
to move fret IV.
In the firstbook of El Maestro,fantasiasof the 5th and6th modesappear
both in the 'transposed'E andin the 'normal'A tunings.It only remainsto
examinehow fret IV is used in the fantasiasof the 5th and 6th modesthat
sharethe A tuningwith those for which a 'sharp'functionfor the fret was
detected.In Fantasia15 fret IV is not used at all, but in Fantasia19 and in
Pavan3 the chordsfound in the other modal groupsare, again,missing,
while those foundin the 'transposed'tuningsarepresent(Ex. 25). The use
of the fret in melodic sequencesalso shows it as having a 'flat' function
(Ex. 26). These examplesprove that, in the first book of El Maestro,the
criteriongoverningthe functionand presumablythe location of fret IV
seems to be dictatedby the mode of the piece, regardlessof the tuning
involved:thisfrethasto be movedonly for the piecesthatbelongto the 5th
and6th modes.Furthermore,throughoutall the worksin thesemodes,this
fretis usedonly for course3 in the piecesinA tuning,andfor courses2 and
3 in those in the 'transposed'E tuning, which suggeststhat the sharp
functionit could have had in other courseshasbeen consciouslyavoided,
leaving the fret free to be placed in the flat position (comparewith
Bermudo'sdiagramsfor theA andE vihuelas,Ex. 2 andEx. 27, shownhere
with the coursesreversedfor clarity'ssake)?7
EX. 25.
EX. 26.
19
a) Fantasia
Fantasia 19
66
56-69
b) Pavan3
EX. 27.
1
74
74
adIl
The evidenceprovidedby the firstbook of El Maestroallowsus to draw

the following preliminaryconclusions:
16
a) Milan uses different terminos,a word that may be interpreted as a

synonym of 'assumed tuning'.
b) Fret IV can be located in either of two different positions, according to
the sharp or flat function it must fulfil.
c) There seems to exist a certain inconsistency between the rubric to
Fantasia 14, which states that fret IV must be moved when there is no
apparent need, while the cases that effectively require such a displacement
lack any indication.
d) The position of fret IV seems to be dictated by the mode of the piece,
regardless of the tuning.
e) The consistent use of fret IV fulfilling only one function, either as sharp
or as flat, suggests that Milan used a fretting scheme that corresponds to an
unequal temperament; the most likely candidate seems to be the meantone
temperament.
Milan was, above all, a practical musician, and his advice should not be
disregarded lightly. Up to this point the rubric that indicates fret IV's shift
of position seems to be located at an inconvenient place; to shed more light
on its implications it is necessary to examine how this fret is handled in the
works for solo vihuela that appear in the second book of El Maestro.
PART II
Some pieces for solo vihuela from the second book of El Maestrodisplay a
different use of fret IV as compared with the use detected for the works of
the first book: in the latter pieces fret IV served consistently either as flat or
sharp; in some of the following pieces it will retain the same consistency of
function, but in others it shall be called for to provide both sharps and flats
in the course of the same piece. This inconsistency will make it necessary to
reconsider, taking into account the new evidence from the second book, the
validity of the preliminary conclusions stated above, especially those that
refer to the use of the meantone temperament and to the relation between
the mode and the function of fret IV.
Milan declares, in the preface to the second book, that it differs from the
first book in that the works contained in the second present a greater degree
of difficulty, adding that the first book 'provided beginning and midway',
while the second 'provides the conclusion'.38 The first indication of a
different usage, a difference that will cause the inconsistent use of fret IV,
appears in the rubric to Fantasia23, placed immediately after the preface to
the second book:
The fantasiathat follows belongs to the first mode througha differentpartfrom
that shown in the first book; thus, you shall see in this second book the modes
throughdifferentpartsin the vihuelafrom those you have seen in the pastbook.39
'Through different parts' means the same thing as the 'change of terminos'
of the first book, in other words, that the modes will appear in different
17
assumedtuningsfrom those used in the firstbookP.4Fantasia23 itself can

confirm the correctnessof this interpretation.The pieces from the first
mode in book one are Fantasias1, 2, 3 and 13; all of themuse theA tuning
andpresentas the locusof D, thefinalis,course3 stoppedat fret III.Fantasia
23 'throughdifferentparts',on the other hand,hascourse2, fret IIIas the
locusof thefinalis,which correspondsto the E tuning(Ex. 28). A parallel
may be drawn, besides, between the rubric to Fantasia17 and that of
has taken
Fantasia28. Fantasia16's rubricwarnsthat a changeof terminos
as the preceding
place, while Fantasia17 'goes throughthe same terminos
fantasia'(seeAppendix1). Ina similarfashion,MilanindicatedthatFantasia
27 'is of the 3rdmode, whichI havechangedthroughotherparts',followed
by Fantasia28 which 'goes throughthe same partsin the vihuela as the
precedingfantasia'.41
EX. 28.
Fantasias
FantasiasFantasia
1, 2 & 13B
Fantasia23
'Terminos'
has been defined previously as a structuralpattern determined
of
use
the
by
specific locations of the fretboard, considering the term as a
synonym of 'assumed tuning'. Bearing in mind the way in which Milan uses
this word in an instrumental context the proposed definition is correct, but
the consistent use of accidental notes - such as B6 for the 5th and 6th
modes, or F# for the 7th and 8th - may cause the fretboard patterns to vary
without any change in the assumed tuning.42 These alterations make it
necessary to introduce a new concept of terminos,now as structuralpatterns
defined exclusively by the fretboard locations used in the course of a piece,
regardless of the assumed tuning. It may be considered that the tuning
corresponds to the terminosapplying the word in a strict sense, while an
isolated structural pattern may be interpreted as terminosin a wider
sense.
The difference between the two concepts may be appreciated in Ex. 29;
without any elements that could help to establish the name of the notes of
each fretboard location, diagram 'a' does not illustrate any specific tuning.
An examination of the places where semitones occur may induce one to
think that this diagram corresponds to an E tuning (diagram b) but it also
could be interpreted as an A tuning where Bk is used consistently, as it
would happen with the 5th and 6th modes (diagramc), or even to a B tuning
with consistent F sharps, as would be the case for the 7th and 8th modes
(diagram d). These variants prevent the identification of the absolute
terminosof a work using the assumed tuning as the sole basis: the structural
pattern must also be taken into account and vice versa. A clear example of
18
EX. 29.
a)
b)
A'nutk
c)1234
B--4'
ALC
A,
Ls
d)1
2345
DI
C~M%
C~
this ambiguity appears in Fantasia38, of the 6th mode, whose rubric points
out that 'the 8th may be played in these same places' (see p. 14), concluding
that the only difference will reside in the names assigned to thefinalis: F for
the 6th mode and G for the 8th. The consistent use of Bk in the sixth mode
and FO in the 8th produces similar scales in both modes, whose structure
corresponds to that of an Ionian or modern major; if the only things that
change are the names of the notes on the fretboard, it is evident that exactly
the same fretboard locations will be used, thus shaping a similar structural
pattern, even though the assumed tuning will be different since the same
fretboard locations bear the names of different notes (see Ex. 30).
EX. 30.
1
,B
C
--
Ef
AD
E
G
D
:'
D
F,,
5T
f-
'C" '=
G
,,,
EI
III
E.,"I.?
5
6
%a
LL_
The problem of fret IV's function is closely related to the use of terminos
through 'other parts'; it will therefore be useful to classify the tunings and
structural patterns that Milan used in the second book of El Maestro.The
tunings can be established following the procedure outlined above: the
finalis is determined from the mode, as mentioned in the rubric; thefinalis is
then located in the final cadence in order to find its place in the fretboard,
and, finally, all the fretboard locations used in the course of the piece are
drawn in a diagram. The tuning is deduced from the place of thefinalis, and
the fretboard locations are examined in order to check if they correspond to
the 'natural notes' or 'key-signature' accidentals of the mode, and that the
rest of the accidentals are congruent with those generally associated with
the mode in question.3 Taking into account the places where consecutive
numbers appear, this analysis also allows one to ascertain between which
19
frets the semitones occur, and therefore to establish if a specific fret

functions as sharp or flat, as well as the structuralpattern of the piece. As a
result of this analysis, it emerged that Milan used the following tunings (in
order of appearance):E, nine pieces; F#, five pieces; D, two pieces; A, five
pieces; and B, one piece (see Appendix 1).
The classification of the structuralpatterns requires a system that groups
in a logical and coherent manner all the different possibilities of using the
fretboard. The easiest way of achieving this is to start from the most obvious
case: that the structural pattern of the piece coincides with the pattern
inherent to the tuning. A clear case may be found in Fantasia4, of the 1st
mode in A tuning, where the use of accidentals does not alter perceptively
the natural pattern of the tuning (see Ex. 31; note also the inconsistent use
of fret I).
1
4
2
3
5
EX. 31.
E
Dww
#
This graphic diagram may be also expressed numerically: the notes on

the sixth course are A and C, corresponding to the open string and fret III,
that is, 03; if the missing diatonic note is introduced (in this case B ), the
result will be 023. In order to define a structuralpattern, as determined by
the natural notes of the scale, it is necessary to take into account only the
numbers for four notes in two courses: this covers the range of a seventh.
The structural pattern of the A tuning may be thus expressed as (6)0235/
(5)0235; this pattern will henceforward be referred to as group 1. Following
the same procedure, the following groups were established (see Ex. 32):
1
EX. 32. Group1: (6)0235/(5)0235,

to A
corresponding
Group2: (6)0135/(5)0235,
to E
corresponding
Group3: (6)-135/(5)0135,
to F#
corresponding
Group4: (6)0235/(5)0245,
to D
corresponding
Group5: (6)0135/(5)0135,
to B
corresponding
i
A
I
__I
G
-E[
--Se
E- I
]i
1
-
1r
All these structural patterns were used by Milan, although in some cases
they do not correspond to the tuning from which they were drawn. For
20
example: Fantasia 35 in A tuning belongs to the 8th mode, whose 'key

signature' requires consistently F#; this accidental is found, among other
locations, in course 5, fret IV, thus presenting the pattern (6)0235/(5)0245
which corresponds to the D tuning, or group 4. In this case, the absolute
terminosof the piece are A, group 4, hereafter referred to as A4 (see Ex. 33).
The patterns that follow the structure dictated by the natural notes of its
tuning will receive the group number that corresponds to the tuning: Al,
E2, F#3 and D4; the B tuning appears only in one piece (Fantasia34), with
the group 2 structuralpattern (B2). The use of accidentals may give rise to a
great variety of tuning/pattern combinations; among the number of
possibilities, Milan uses the following in his pieces for solo vihuela:
Firstbook:
Al, without accidentals(sixteenpieces)

A2, with B6 (three pieces)
A4, with F# (six pieces)
E5, with B6 (three pieces)
Second book: A4, with F# (five pieces)
E2, without accidentals(five pieces)
E5, with Bb (four pieces)
F#3, without accidentals(five pieces)
D1, with B6 (one piece)
B2, with FO (one piece).
EX. 33.
EX. 34.
A4 D
D
GD
I
IW rI
,
|
l
D6
DC
2
1
2
3
45't
!.. "
C G LEiLiA
Ti'
The piece that remains to make up the total of fifty works for solb
vihuela in El Maestro,Tiento 4 of the 7th and 8th modes, presents the D
tuning, but the FO gives rise to a new structural pattern that fits the G
tuning, (6)0245/(5)0245, which corresponds to group 6 (see Ex. 34). Milan
uses thus a total of nine tuning/pattern combinations, four where the tuning
and the pattern coincide, and five that could be denominated as 'accidental'
(see Appendix 1). This classification of the terminosaccording to the tuning
and structuralgroup will be particularly helpful for the study of how Milan
uses the patterns in relation to the modes, and the bearing that these
elements can have upon the function of fret
IV.44
As stated above, the tablature analysis can show,
among other things, the
function that a particular fret fulfils in a specific piece. This analysis was
carried out for all the solo vihuela pieces in El Maestrowith a particular
attention to fret IV, and it emerged that this fret can operate in three
21
different ways: as a sharp, as a flat, or inconsistently, providing sharps for

some courses and flats for others. Ex. 35 from Fantasia23 shows an example
of the last case. The flat function is clearly defined in bars 131-132 by
means of the Bk of course 3, which forms octaves with the B flats of frets I
and VI, also flat (Ex. 35a); course 3 in fret IV provides B flats throughout the
whole piece. This same fret, however, also provides sharps for courses 1 and
4 (see Ex. 35b, bars 150-152, where the G# of course 1 cadences to the A of
fret V). This kind of inconsistent behaviour that appears only in the second
book, combined with the wider variety of terminos,suggests that the more
complex and different use of fret IV, as well as of the terminosthemselves,
could be due to didactical reasons: it may have happened that Milan
considered that when the pupil had finished with the first book he should be
familiar enough with its straightforward terminos, and increased the
difficulty by including the more problematic ones. This hypothesis is
consistent with Milan's meticulousness on indicating the mode of all of his
pieces for solo vihuela and by which 'parts' they can be played, a concern
that is manifest throughout his work and reiterated in the preface to the
second book, when he states that in it 'the modes will be seen in other parts
of the vihuela'.45
EX. 35. Fantasia23
b-
131-132
Oa
15-
150-152
The use of fret IV in three different ways creates two broad groups of
pieces: those where the use is consistent (whether flat or sharp), and those
where the use is inconsistent. The pieces of the second book may be
classified following this criterion as follows:
a) Consistent use: Flat: Fantasias 32, 33 and Tiento 3
Sharp: Fantasias 34-38, 40 and Tiento 4
Fantasias
Inconsistent:
23-31, 39 and Tientos 1-2.
b)
The inconsistency may vary between the occasional appearance of a
sharp when the fret functions as flat and vice-versa, to the recurrent use of
the conflicting function. In order to distinguish these cases two further
categories were created: minimal inconsistency, when the conflicting
function appears only once or twice in the course of the piece, and maximal
inconsistency for a more extended use. The pieces with minimal
inconsistency are Fantasias26-31 and Tiento 2. Those that present maximal
inconsistency are Fantasias23-25, 39 and Tiento 1. Using the classification
22
established above, and including the modes of the pieces, they form the
following groups:
a) Consistent use, fret IV flat:
E5, 5th and 6th modes: Fantasias 32, 33 and Tiento 3
b) Consistent use, fret IV sharp:
D1, 6th mode, Fantasia 38
A4, 7th and 8th modes, Fantasias 34-37 and 40
D6, 7th and 8th modes, Tiento 4
c) Minimal inconsistency:
E2, 3rd and 4th modes: Fantasia 26
F#3, 3rd and 4th modes: Fantasias 27-30 and Tiento 2
E5, 6th mode: Fantasia 31
d) Maximal inconsistency:
E2, 1st and 2nd modes: Fantasias 23-25 and Tiento 1
B2, 7th and 8th modes: Fantasia 39.
The presence of inconsistency, even though it may be minimal, in
Fantasia31 of the 6th mode in E5 suggests that Fantasias32 and 33, as well
as Tiento 3, of the 5th and 6th modes in E5 as well, pertain to the same
category of terminoswhere fret IV is open to an inconsistent treatment. On
the other hand, the pieces from the first book where fret IV functions as flat
can be classified thus:
A2, 5th and 6th modes, Fantasia 19 and Pavan 3
E5, 5th and 6th modes, Fantasias 16-17 and 20.
It can be appreciated that three of these pieces also belong to the 5th and
6th modal group with E5 terminos, and are therefore subject to the
considerations expressed above regarding their potential inconsistency. As
a result of this brief examination, it may be concluded that fret IV has a
consistent function only for the A and D tunings. In both of these tunings
fret IV is sharpby definition, a fact that may help to explain the consistency
of this function in this
is also the possibility of usirig fret IV
context.46There
as a flat in the A2 terminos,
but taking care of avoiding the courses where it
should provide sharps, as Milan does when he uses this fret only for course 3
in the 5th and 6th mode pieces included in the first book (see above,
pp. 16-17 and Ex. 36). This extraordinary use of fret IV, which could
almost be considered as artificial in its avoidance of five courses, makes it
plausible that Milan, in order to be consistent with his didactical policies,
EX. 36.
(B)
D
A
23
and to show 'where' on the vihuela the 5th and 6th modes could be played
in an A tuning (the one he preferred to use throughout the first book),
composed these pieces with a special care, fully aware that these terminos
might not have been the most adequate. This hypothesis is supported by the
fact that in the second book no further pieces of this modal group appear in
A tuning, and specially, that the first fantasia of the 5th and 6th modes to
appear in El Maestro(No. 15) completely avoids the use of fret IV. If this
hypothesis is correct, it may be postulated as a conclusion that fret IV
functions consistently only in the A and D tunings, and that its function in
these cases is, mainly, that of providing sharps.
The rubric to Fantasia14 is not the only one to advise shifting fret IV. As
already mentioned, similar instructions can be found in the rubric to the
Romance 'Conpavorrecordoel moro'which appears in the second book; it is
worthwhile to state them again:
(When]playingthroughthesepartsin the vihuela,you shouldraisethe fourthfreta
little towardsthe pegs of the
vihuela.7
The rubrics of the pieces for voice and vihuela of El Maestrodo not offer
any information concerning the mode of the piece in question; the
identification of the tuning must be therefore accomplished through the
analysis of the music and the tablature itself. The accompaniment of Con
pavor follows definitely instrumental lines, chords and scales, and
consequently does not have a well-defined superius:these circumstances
forced the choice of the vocal part as the basis to determine the modality of
this work.8 In the scale of the voice part of Conpavorthe first third is minor,
occasionally altered ascendingly, which corresponds to a minor mode,
while the range fits that of an authentic mode; thus the options are
restricted to the 1st or 3rd modes whose tonic notes are D and E
respectively. The organization of the intervals makes it clear that this piece
must be in the 1st mode,dsince using E as the tonic would produce an
unnatural amount of unusual alterations (it would begin F , F#, At, B,
etc., see Appendix 3). The tuning assumed for this piece is therefore D, and
the fingerboard locations correspond to the structural pattern 4: (6)0235/
(5)0245 (see Ex. 37a). In the D tuning fret IV must provide sharps, and this is
precisely what happens in this piece; in fact, it may be confirmed with the
chord in Ex. 38, where an octave appears between a note in fret IV and
another in fret II, also sharp. It has already been mentioned that in the
context of the first book the chords that use fret IV form two different,
mutually exclusive groups, according to the function of flat or sharp they
must fulfil. This rule still operates in most of the second book, with a few
exceptions that will be discussed presently (see Appendix 4). Fantasia 14
with Al terminos,on the other hand, also uses the chords from the sharp
group, and presents a similar structure of terminosto that of Con pavor; the
difference in course 5 is practically cancelled with the use of Bb on fret III
in D tuning and FO on fret IV for the A tuning (see Ex. 37b). It may be
24
EX. 37.
el moro'
a) Fretboardlocations:'Conpavorrecordo
1
b) Fretboardlocations:Fantasia14
1
56
,,--
EX. 38.
locations:theconclusion
the14 that the two diagrams in Ex. 37 show
possible toarrive
'Conpavorrecordo
el moro'
2
possible to arrive at the conclusion that the two diagramsin Ex. 37 show the
terminosthat require, according to Milan, a shift in the position of fret IV.
These diagrams also provide three criteria that could help to determine for
which other pieces the indication about the fret shift could apply; these
conditions are:
a) Fret IV in sharp position;
b) Use of chords of the sharp group;
c) Terminostructures 1 and 4 (corresponding to the A and D tunings.
The solo pieces in El Maestrothat fulfil all or some of these conditions are:
a) Al terminos:
1st and 2nd modes: Fantasias 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 13 and Pavan 1
3rd and 4th modes: Fantasias7-9, 12, 14 and Pavan 2 (fret IV is not used
at all in Fantasias 3 and 5, but they belong to the same terminos
group; in Fantasias 2 and 10 no chord involves fret IV);
b) A4 terminos:
7th and 8th modes: Fantasias 18, 21, 22, 34-37, 40 and Pavans 4-6 (in
Fantasia 22 no chord involves fret IV);
Dl
terminos:
c)
6th mode: Fantasia 38;
25
d) D4 terminos:
7th and 8th modes: Tiento 4
el moro]
[ [1st mode] Conpavorrecordo
The threeconditionspostulatedabovedo not contradictthe conclusions
arrivedat previously:fret IV functionsconsistentlyonly in the A and D
tunings,where it acts fundamentallyas sharp.
When the use of fret IV is consistentit mayoccupytwo distinctplacesin
the fretboard,accordingto its function,butthe inconsistentuse posesa new
question:when the fret is used inconsistently,does it requirea third,new
position, or should it be placed in one of the other two positions?The
answerseems to be the second, but, in order to be able to state such a
propositionwith a reasonabledegreeof certainty,it is necessaryto examine
the way and contextin which the inconsistencyis produced.Thereis little
difficultyin ascertainingthe main functionof fret IV in the pieces with
minimal inconsistency,since the conflicting notes appearonly once or
twice in the courseof the piece. Fantasia26, the firstfromthe 3rd and4th
modesin book two, is the only one where thismodalgroupappearsin the
E2 terminos,
and the inconsistencyis limitedto a B, in bar 5 (see Ex. 39a)
while the first course functionsconsistentlyas sharp,even in cadential
figuresand as the majorthirdof the E chord (see Ex. 39b andEx. 39c). A
with minimalinconsistency,F#3 appearsin the next
new groupof terminos
fantasia,also of the 3rd mode; its rubrichelpsto explainwhy thereare no
more pieces of this modal group in E2 terminos:
is of the3rdmode,whichI havechangedto otherparts,becausethe
Thisfantasia
thirdandfourthmodesseembetteron thevihuela[intheparts]wherethisfantasia
goes ratherthan where the past fantasiagoes.49
EX. 39. Fantasia 26
a)
b)
4-5
10-12
c)
13d9
ApparentlyMilan did not only considerthat the 3rd and 4th modes
'seemedbetter'in F#3, but thatthesewere the mostsuitablefor thismodal
complex, since all of the subsequent 3rd and 4th mode pieces are
intabulatedpreciselyin F#3. The functionof fret IV in all these pieces
seemsto haveturnedtowardsthe flat:courses2 and3 (FandC respectively,
see Ex. 40) function regularlyas such, while the few conflicting notes
appearin course 4 (see Ex. 41).50The flat position of the fret can be
confirmedby meansof the chordswhere a note of thisfret formsan octave
with a note of anotherflat fret (see Ex. 42). In Fantasia31, of the 6th mode
26
in E5 terminos,
course 3 in fret IV is used consistentlyas B b, and forms
octaveswith theBb of course5, fretI; the only inconsistencyappearsin bar
103, where course4 is called for to providean F# (see Ex. 43). It may be
concludedthatin the terminos
with minimalinconsistencythe generaltrend
favoursplacingthe fret in a flat position,with the exceptionof Fantasia26
in E5, pertainingto the 3rdand4th modeswhich, as Milanhimselfadmits,
functionbetterin otherterminos.
Thisindicationmustbe stressed,aswell as
the fact thatthe remainingworksof the 3rd and4th modesareintabulated
in F#3, wherefretIVfunctionsasflat.Milan'spredilectionfor intabulating
the 3rd and 4th modes in F#3 could providethe meaningit lackedto the
rubricto Fantasia14, which seemedunnecessaryin the contextof the first
book. If the expression,'wheneveryou playthe fourthandthirdmodesby
the terminos
in whichthisfantasiagoes [Al]: you shouldraisethe fourthfret
a little .. .', is comparedwith the functionof fret IV as flat in the terminos
preferredby Milan, F#3, it becomes clear that what the vihuelist may
havetriedto saywas thatwhen playingthe 3rdand4th modesin Al whose
EX. 40.
F4 vihuela,extrapolated
EX. 41. Tiento 2
fromBermudo's
diagrams
andMilan'susage
1
-0-
IP
E -B A
-E
"*
6-7
1,
-.-
6i-7
11v
EX. 42. a) Fantasia27
28
b) Fantasia
3
a)
b)
"24I
4g
2,4
EX. 43. Fantasia31
25
103-104
27
fret is sharp,it is necessaryto ensurethatthe fret hasthe correctposition,

sincethe best terminos
for these modes,F#3, requirea flat fret IV, while in
E5 these modes do not 'seem so well'.
The casesof maximuminconsistencyarelimitedto fourpiecesof the 1st
and2nd modesin E2 andan isolatedfantasiaof the 7th and8th modes(no.
39) in B2. Both tuningswere consideredby Bermudoas belongingto the
samegroup,andthe similarityof terminos
suggeststhatthe problemscaused
the
be
must
This
is
indeedthe case.Inbothterminos
by inconsistency
alike.5
course3, fret IV, is used constantlyas flat, while course 1 in the samefret
must provide sharps(Tiento 1); in other pieces fret IV must also serve as
sharpfor othercourses:4 (Fantasias25 and39); 5 (Fantasia23); andeven 4
and 5 in the samepiece (Fantasia24). Despite the largenumberof sharps,
fret IV mustbe placedin the flat position,judging from the chordswhere
octavesappearbetween this fret and anotherthat is also in a flat position
(see Ex. 35a andEx. 44). The need for sharps,however,is evincedfor two
reasons:first,by the presence,albeitscarce,of chordsof the sharpgroup;
none of the notes of these chordsforms octaveswith the aid of another
includechordsof the sharpgroupwhen the
sharpfret,but no otherterminos
fret is flat or vice versa,nor do they mix chordsof both groups:exceptin
this particularcase the groups are mutually exclusive. The conflicting
chordsare shown in Ex. 45 and Ex. 46: Ex. 45 shows a cadentialfigure
foundalsoin fantasias24 (bars69-70) and25 (bars60-61); the chordin Ex.
46 appearsonly once, but in the most exposedplace, as the final chordof
EX. 44. Fantasia39
48
23
EX.45. Fantasia
EX. 46. Fantasia 24
151-152
199
28
Fantasia24. The need for sharpsis also confirmedby the cadentialfigures

thatinvolve fret IV (see Ex. 35b andEx. 47). It is evidentthata fret in a flat
position cannot fulfil efficiently the task of providingsharps,especially
when they functionas leadingnotes in a fairnumberof cadences,and it is
very difficult to conceive a final chord whose major third is flat. The
conflicting notes could pass more or less unnoticed in the pieces with
minimalinconsistency,but theincreasein numberof occurrences,aswell as
the numberof coursesused, mustbe consideredas a suresign thatthe fret
cannotoccupy a position that is defined exclusivelyas flat or sharp.
EX. 47. Fantasia24
13-14
160-151
l
yr
The inconsistenciesthat ariseout of the use of conflictingfunctionsin

the samefret makeit necessaryto reconsiderthe possibilitythatMilanmay
haveused an unequaltemperament,or, in any case, to reflectupon which
varietycouldmeet the requirementsof hisworks.The stringinstrumentsof
the sixteenthcenturycould be frettedfollowing the equal temperament.
Bermudo himself recognizesthis possibilitywhen he launchesa tirade
againstthe 'effeminateof womanishvoices'who placedthe fretsaccording
to how they sang, that is, wrongly:
butthey
Truly,in thecommonvihuelathereareneithermajororminorsemitones,
lie in sucha distribution
thatit is possibleto play... Thepartthatis distributed
amongthefretsis moreorlesshalfa comma,therefore,thelackorexcesswillnot
be noticed,forwhichreasonI haveto praisetheinventor,wholeft thevihuelaa
plentifulinstrument
[i.e. full of resources]??2
If it is considered that Milan used the equal temperament,all the
problemscausedby the inconsistentfret functionsare solved, but some
pointsremainto be explainedin a satisfactoryway. In the firstplace, the
rubricsthatindicatea changeof positionof fret IV arenot compatiblewith
equal temperament,althoughthere is a parallelcase that may lend some
supportto thispossibility.Up to the point when theselines arewritten,no
systematicstudy has been made aboutthe temperamentthat Enriquezde
Valderrabanomight have used in his Silva de Sirenas; given these
circumstances,two independentpieces of evidencewill have to suffice. In
the rubricto a 'Fantasia
sobreunpleni'Valderrabano
states:'the fourthfret
should be lowered a little towardsthe rose'.53
On the other hand, this authorincludesin his book duos for vihuelas
29
tunedat the unison,a minorthird,a fourthanda fifthapart;M. Lindleyhas

statedin regardto the duosfor vihuelastuneda minorthirdapartthat'some
examplesof less esotericmusicimplicitlyrequiringequaltemperamentare
Enriquezde Valderrabano's
pieces . . . for two vihuelaspitched a minor
thirdapart.There is no way that these compositionscould soundin tune
on normal instruments in meantone temperament or Pythagorean
While the inconsistencybetween Valderrabano's
rubricand
intonation'.54
the temperamentrequiredto play his duos could be comparedto the
inconsistencyof Milan'suse of fret IV in relationto his rubrics,there are
further clues that argue against the equal temperament.One of the
argumentsthat Lindley adduces to propose that Milan used meantone
temperamentis the complete absenceof the E majorchord, in the shape
illustratedin Ex. 48a, fromthe worksof Milan:in theA tuningthe firstfret
is flat,andthischordpresentsa G sharpin course4, fretI. Milanusedfreely
the chordwithoutthe third(Ex.48b) andalsothe F majorchorda semitone
above (Ex. 48c): accordingto Lindley,the avoidanceof the E chordwhere
the G sharpmustbe playedin a flat fret providesevidence to supporthis
theory.55
EX.48.
a) b) c)
Anotherargumentagainstequaltemperamentcanbe foundin the tuning

instructionsthat Milan himself provides.He startsby statingthat all the
coursesmustbe a fourthbelow the immediatelysuperiorcourse,with the
exceptionof course 4, that must be three notes lower than course 3. He
identifiesthis last intervalas mi/utin a diagram,thatis, a majorthird;but
whenhe indicateshow to verifythe tuningby meansofunisons,or, in other
words,when his instructionsarepragmaticandaddressedto the instrument
itself, he only pointsout thatthe intervalsof a fourthhave theirunisonin
the inferiorcoursestoppedat fret V; he doesnotmentiontheunisonbetween
4 stopped
atfretIV.56Thisomissionis mostsignificant,
3 andcourse
opencourse
sincethe unisonis producedwithoutanyproblemin an equaltemperament,
but in the meantonetemperamentcourse3 tunedin unisonwith the course
4 at fret IV may causedifficulties.The most considerableinconvenienceis
thatthe octavebetweenthe open course5 andcourse3 stoppedat fret IIIis
no longerperfect:with fret IV in a sharppositionthe differenceis slightly
bothersome,but not overtly evident.But when fret IV is placedin a flat
position the note of course 3 stopped at fret III rises so much that it is
30
virtuallyimpossibleto playanypiece euphoniously:the octavebetweenthe

open course 5 and course 3 stoppedat fret III is requiredin most of the
It is importantto point out
piecesof El Maestro,
regardlessof theirterminos.
that all the other vihuelists and theoreticians who provide tuning
instructionsinvariablymentionthe unisonbetweenthe open course3 and4
at fretIV;thus,Milan'somissionmaybe the clue to a uniquepractice,as far
as the presentstate of knowledge is concerned.57
The evidencepresentedaboveleadsto the conclusionthatthe two most
obvious frettingpossibilities,equal temperament,or one of the unequal
temperamentswhose use is documentedfor the sixteenthcentury,solve
different problemsamong those posed by El Maestro,but are mutually
incompatible.This makes it necessaryto propose a hypothesis,a third
alternative,that could conciliate their differences.A possibilityis that
Milan did not follow one of the theoreticalsystems,using instead,as the
The use of the ear as
practicalmusicianhe was, his earto adjustthe frets.5"
the only guide to place the frets was mentionedin 1520, when Juan de
Espinozacomplainedof the deficienciesof thissystem,blaming,in the first
instance,the makers,but also implyingthatthe playerssolved these faults
by makinguse of their ears as well:
Sincethevihuelamakers
whomakethemostperfectinstrument
thereis,asalready
whereorhowit has
said,bytheskillof [their]handswithoutknowingthemselves
itsperfection
... theydonothaveeitheranyknowledge
orcertainty
to putthefrets
on the vihuelaaccording
to a compass,so thattheymayhavebetweenthemthe
willdobymeasuring
perfectandproperquantity
theyshouldhave,asthemusician
thestringin theproportions
thatconsistof theconsonances
anddissonances
there
arefromonequantity
to another,which,becausenatureprovidesthem,cannotbe
largeror smaller,norcantheybe in anotherplace;but,sincetheyignoretherules
thatthe musicianmustperforceknow,theyhaveto do as they do, raisingand
the fretsuntiltheyleavethemin sucha placethat,whenthe musician
19wering
comesto playhe is forcedto changetheplacesof themall.Thecauseof thisis that
neitherone northe otherperformthisbutwiththeirsenses.59
The problemscausedby faultyfrettingsmusthavebeen very frequent,to
judge from Espinoza'swords and those of another theoreticianwho
recommendedthe use of the compass as a sure method to determine
correctlythe placeof the frets:Bermudo.Thisauthor,however,admitsthat
the only methodin use whichhe considerssatisfactoryis placingthe fretsby
ear, on one condition:the ear mustbe good in order to be able to judge
correctlythe intervals:
Oneof thethingsI havefoundthatis notcorrectin thevihuelaisthepositionof the
frets.Youwillseldomfindthisinstrument
wellfretted,withtheexceptionof those
usedby thegoodplayers,whoplacethemaccording
to thecompassof theirgood
ear.60
These quotationssupport the feasibility of the hypothesisproposed

thatsucha practical
above, but it still remainsto define the characteristics
31
system should present. In order to meet the needs of the tablaturesin

El Maestrothe frettingmust fulfil the following requirements:
a) It mustbe close enoughto the equaltemperamentto allow the fretsto
functionmore or less satisfactorilyas both flat and sharp.
b) It mustbe sufficientlydifferentfrom the equal temperamentto justify
the rubricsthatindicatea shiftof fret IV, the absenceof the E majorchord
discussedabove, and the lack of tuning instructionsabout the interval
between the courses3 and 4.
In brief, this temperamentshould ideally be a mean between the
extreme possibilities,neither equal or meantone, but something intermediate.Up to this momentthereis no evidenceof the use of this kind of
temperament,but E. Dombois has suggestedits possible applicationto
pieces thatpresentproblemssimilarto those thatappearin the pieceswith
maximum inconsistencyof El Maestro.This author proposes that the
of the
meantonetemperamentcould be used wheneverthe characteristics
this
cases
where
that
there
are
but
he
also
allow
it,
recognizes
pieces
as
and
both
a
fret
must
serve
those
where
is
unsuitable:
sharp
temperament
flat. To alleviate these problemshe suggests,first, a series of palliative
measures, such as:
a) Choosinga sharpor flat position,and toleratingthe conflictingnotes.

b) Placingthe fret in the middle of the two positions,but havingneither
correct.
c) Placingthe fret in an oblique position,and thereforedrawingsome of
the notes nearerto their correctposition, but still not exactly correct.
d) Placingtwo frets, one for each function.
e) Glueingtemporarilya smallsectionof fret materialon the appropriate
places in order to supplythe missingnotes.6
Two of theseproposalsmayhavea historicfoundation(whichDombois
did not acknowledge, probablybecause of the practicalnature of his
article):placing the fret in an oblique position, and placing two frets.
Bermudosuggestsputtingtwo fretsof differentthicknessfor the flat and
the sharpof fret I of the G vihuela when, to avoid all the troublesome
implicationsof dealingwith seven tunings,it is adoptedas the only one:
modescanbe playedon thisvihuela,in thewaythatit is
All thetones,or natural
elsewhereconcerning
to itsfinalnotes.Taketheadviceproferred
frettedaccording
thefaults[i.e.missingnotes],of lookingforthesaidnotesinotherfrets... orplace
anotherfirstfret,which,wheneverisputbecauseof sucha need,shouldbe thicker
thanthe firstit [already]has,so thatthe stringdoesnot gratewhen
stopped.62
Although this suggestion may be considered as one of Bermudo's
speculativeimprovementsof the instrument,there is anothertestimony
that could lend it some degree of probability: Bartholomeo Lieto
Panhormitano,five years after the publicationof Bermudo'sDeclaracion,
also proposesthe use of double frets:
withscience:you
aboutfretsin accordance
Andpleasenotethisnewobservation
32
shouldhave those two fretstwinnedas one fret ... andyou will do thisbecauseof
the philosophers'reasonthata tone presentstwo minorsemitonesanda comma,
and
the semitonethatis usedis the minorone, andif someonesaysthatthissubtletydoes
nothappen,seeingthattheviolaalreadyproducesa goodconsonance
withoutit,
give him thisanswer:thathe who does not know or cannothavebreadeatsherbs.3
This observationis of particularinterest, since Lieto Panhormitano's

workis devotedboth to the lute andthe vihuela(violaa manooverliuto),and
the placeof printing,Naples,was a city whose politicalsituationalloweda
greatdeal of culturalinterchangewith Spain.These suggestions,however,
did not seem to find a readyreceptionamongthe players,for thereare no
testimoniesof the use of doublefretsin actualpractice.Placingthe fret in
an obliqueposition,on the otherhand,apparentlydid happen,if we areto
creditthe words of Bermudo,who qualifiesit as a 'poultice',a makeshift
arrangement:
Somepretendto remedytheaforesaid
faultsplacingthefretswherethesefaultsare
to be foundlyingdownoutof parallel.I giveasanexamplethefirstfretof theG
vihuela,whichis sharpforfourcourses,andshouldbe flatforthethirdandfourth
andto makethesaidflattheyinclinethefret,andthefirst[course]losesa
[courses],
thatrequirea sharp.Intheaforesaid
demonstrations
little,aswellasthose[courses]
it canbe seenthatthisis not a remedy,but a
poultice.64
AlthoughMilannevermentionsthispractice,it couldbe thoughtthatthe
possibility of varying slightly the position of a fret is implicit in his
instructionsto verify and, if necessary,rectify the intervalsbetween the
coursesby adjustingthe tension of the strings,or by shiftinga little the
position of the fifth fret:
Whenthevihuelais tunedaccording
to thesaidnotes,youshouldfine-tunein the
Youwillputthefingeruponthesecond[course]onthefifthfret
followingmanner:
andplayit, andif the saidsecond[course]is notashighasthe first,fine-tuneby
raisingor loweringa littlethe second[course]or the saidfret.65
Milanoffers similarinstructionsto fine-tunethe othercourses,save for
the majorthirdintervalbetweencourses3 and 4; besidesthe impossibility
of 'fine-tuning'a courseby shiftingthe fret, andthen shiftingit againfor a
differentcourse,Milan'sinstructionscannotbe interpretedin the senseof
placingthe fret in an obliqueposition,sincethey referonly to the need for
correctunisonsbetween the coursestuneda fourthapart.It can therefore
be concluded that it is most unlikely that Milan resorted to this false
remedy.
Dombois himself recognizes that none of his initial suggestionsis
satisfactory, and proposes as an alternative using a temperament
intermediatebetween the equal and the meantone.Takingas a starting
point the 700 cents of the equal temperament'sfifth, as opposed to the
696.6 of the meantone'sfifth, he points out that it is possible to use
temperamentswith a fifth of 698 or 699 cents, whose intervalswould be
nearerto thoseof equaltemperament.6A temperamentof this type would
33
satisfy the conditions stipulatedabove to be consideredas suitable for

Milan'smaximuminconsistencypieces. Dombois proposesthe hypothesis
that the lutenists of old may have used an intermediatetemperament,
following initially Galilei's or Dowland's instructions,and thereafter
adjustingthe frets by ear until they were satisfiedwith the fretting.7A
similarhypothesisis proposedhere, namelythatMilanmayhaveusedsome
system(probablyempirical)to determinethe initialpositionof his fretsin
equaltemperament,or in a close variant,andthatlaterhe adjusted(or finetuned) the place of the frets just enough to disruptthe equality, thus
of the piece to be
requiringthe shift of fret IV accordingto the terminos
played.Probablythe resultmay have been somethinglike the 698 or 699
Bermudo,'the lack or excesswill not
temperamentswhere, paraphrasing
bother', even though it may be somewhatlarger than half a comma.A
temperamentof this kind would thus go some way towards settling
satisfactorilythe problemsthat otherwisewould be insoluble.
Accordingto Lindley,an adroitplayershouldbe capableof solvingthe
problemscaused by inconsistencieswithout resortingto equal temperament, but he also concedes that the use of meantonetemperamentwill
entailthatsome passagesprove difficultto
does not discuss
play.68Lindley
either the natureof these difficultpassagesor the way to approachthem,
and it should be stressedthat if Milan'sintentionwas 'to form a vihuela
musician', it would be natural to expect him to state any particular
difficultiesthatthe novice could face, as he does in the caseof fret IV:the
only mention, with its solution, of the tuning problemscaused by the
fretting.Overcomingtheseproblemsthroughinstrumentaltechniquegoes
beyond having a skilful hand to stop the strings correctly: it implies
modifying their tension, and this change can only take place in one
direction,towardsa rise in pitch. If, as Lindleysuggests,Milan used the
meantonetemperament,or one of its varieties,it is impossibleto correct
the sharpsthatappearin flatfrets,sincetheirintonationmustbe lower.This
lastconsiderationgives moreweightto the hypothesisthatMilanmayhave
used an intermediatetemperament.
Finally,the preliminaryconclusionsbasedon the evidencefromthe first
book ofEl Maestro
arethusconfirmed,modifiedor refutedaccordingto the
evidence from the second book:
a) It is confirmedthat,in an instrumentalcontextandasusedby Milan,the
canbe interpretedas 'assumedtuning',butit canalsohavethe
wordterminos
sense of 'structuralpatternwithout an immediaterelationwith a specific
(assumed)tuning'.
b) It is confirmedthatfret IV canoccupytwo differentpositionsaccording
to the functionit must fulfil; in the caseswhere maximuminconsistency
appears,the general trend is towardsplacing it in the flat position; the
secondpartof thisconclusiondoes not imply,however,thatfret IV cannot
occupy the sharpposition in exceptionalcases.69
34
c) The apparentinconsistencyfound in the rubricto Fantasia14 can be

explainedby Milan'spredilectionfor intabulatingthe piecesof the 3rdand
4th modesin the F#3 terminos,
where fret IV functionsas flat, sinceit must
serve as sharpin the terminos
of Fantasia14.
d) The hypothesisthatthe functionof the fretis determinedby the modeof
the piece is refuted. Certaintrendscan be neverthelessdetected:the 5th
and6th modesgenerallyrequirefretIV to be flat;the 7th and8th requireit
sharp;the remainingmodesaresubjectto a greatervariationdependingon
the terminos
used. The words of Bermudo quoted as the epigramto the
presentarticle seem to apply especiallyto the pieces of the 5th and 6th
modesintabulatedfor anA vihuela,whichrequirea flat fret IV, asopposed
not only to the piecesof the 3rdand4th modes,but to the restof the modes
whenever played in such a tuning.
e) With the appearanceof theinconsistentuse of fretIVthe hypothesisthat
Milan used meantone temperamentis considerably weakened. The
evidence that supportsthis hypothesis,on the other hand, diminishesthe
possibilitythat Milan may have used equal temperament.A more likely
alternativeis that Milan may have used a temperamentintermediate
between equal and meantone.
As a corollary to these conclusions it may be added that Lindley
The validityof
considers,quiterightly,thatthe only realtestis the sound.70
an hypothesisis subjectto the resultsit yieldsin actualpractice.In the case
of Milan'sworks,the meantonetemperamentworksadequatelyin a good
numberof pieces,exactlyas Lindleystates.The purityof the thirdscausesa
rich and enticing sonority, but this temperamentalso exacerbatesthe
cacophonywhen conflictingnotes appear.An intermediatetemperament
softensto a largeextentthe effect of thesenotes,while keepingsomeof the
characterof the meantone temperament;this aureamediocritas
provides
subjective, but convincing proof of the feasibility of intermediate
temperamentsfor playingthe works of Milan satisfactorily.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
APPENDIX 1
structural
Modes, tunings,
patternsand fret IV functionsof the
solo vihuela pieces in El Maestro:
Piece
Mode
Structural
Function
Tuning
pattern
of FretIV
Fant. 1
1st
A
1
sharp
Fant. 2
1st
A
1
sharp
Fant.3
1st
A
1
sharp
Fant.4
2nd
A
1
sharp
Fant. 5
2nd
A
1
Fant.6
1st and 2nd
A
1
sharp
Fant.7
3rd
A
1
sharp
35
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
21)
22)
23)
24)
25)
26)
27)
28)
Piece
Mode
Tuning
Fant.8
Fant. 9
Fant. 10
Fant. 11
Fant. 12
Fant. 13
Fant. 14
Fant. 15
Fant. 16
Fant. 17
Fant. 18
Fant. 19
Fant. 20
Fant.21
Fant. 22
Pavan1
Pavan2
Pavan3
Pavan4
Pavan5
Pavan6
4th
3rd and 4th
1st and 2nd
1st and 2nd
3rd and 4th
1st
3rd and 4th
5th and 6th
5th and 6th
5th and 6th
7th and 8th
5th
6th
7th
8th
1st and 2nd
3rd and 4th
5th and 6th
7th and 8th
8th
8th
BOOK II
Fant. 23
29)
Fant. 24
30)
Fant. 25
31)
Fant. 26
32)
Fant.27
33)
Fant.28
34)
Fant.29
35)
Fant.30
36)
Fant. 31
37)
Fant.32
38)
Fant.33
39)
Tiento 1
40)
Tiento 2
41)
Tiento 3
42)
Tiento 4
43)
Fant.34
44)
Fant.
35
45)
Fant.36
46)
Fant.37
47)
Fant.38
48)
Fant. 39
49)
Fant. 40
50)
['Conpavorrecordo
el moro'
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
E
E
A
A
E
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
Structural
pattern
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
5
5
4
2
5
4
4
1
1
2
4
4
4
flat
flat
sharp
flat
flat
sharp
sharp
sharp
sharp
flat
sharp
sharp
sharp
1st
2nd
1st and 2nd
3rd and 4th
3rd
4th
3rd and 4th
3rd and 4th
6th
6th
6th
1st and 2nd
3rd and 4th
5th and 6th
7th and 8th
7th
8th
7th and 8th
7th and 8th
6th
7th and 8th
7th and 8th
E
E
E
E
F#
F#
F#
F#
E
E
E
E
F#
E
D
A
A
A
A
D
B
A
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
5
5
5
2
3
5
6
4
4
4
4
1
2
4
flat/sharp
flat/sharp
flat/sharp
sharp/flat
flat/sharp
flat/sharp
flat/sharp
flat/sharp
flat/sharp
flat
flat
flat/sharp
flat/sharp
flat
sharp
sharp
sharp
sharp
sharp
sharp
flat/sharp
sharp
[1st]
[D]
sharp]
Function
of FretIV
sharp
sharp
sharp
sharp
sharp
sharp
sharp
-
36
APPENDIX 2
Rubricsto the fantasiasin E tuning from the first book of El Maestro
Fantasia16
In the precedingfantasiayou have seen by which terminos
you canmake [i.e. play]
the fifth andsixthmodeson the vihuela.In the fantasiathatfollows [you will] play
these saidmodesby otherterminos.
And sinceit is moreusualto playon the vihuela
the fifth and sixth in the terminos
by which this fantasiamoves I have made this
that you can see.
change of terminos
En lafantasia
lepodeyshazerenla
passada
haueysvistoel quintoy sextotonoporqueterminos
vihuela.
En estafantasia
se
estos
dichos
tonos
otros
terminos.
enla
que siguetafieys
por
Yporque
vihuelasevsamastaiierel quinto
andahehecho
y sextotonoporestosterminos
queestafantasia
estamutacion
de terminos
queveys.
Fantasia17
Thispresentfantasiagoes on the vihuelathroughthe sameterminos
asthe preceding
fantasia,andit goes down to the tenth fret of the vihuela,which is shownwith the
letter x. And it is also of the fifth and sixth modes.
Estapresente
mismos
enlavihuelaquelafantasia
fantasiavaporlosterminos
pasadaanda:y
abaxahastael dezenotrastedelavihuela:el qualdichotrastese selialaconestaletrax. Y es
tambiendelquintoy sextotono.
Fantasia20
In the previousfantasiayou have seen where you can play the fifth mode on the
the sixthmode can also be played.The fantasia
vihuela,and by the same terminos
that follows is of the sixth mode, which I have changedto anotherpart on the
vihuelaso you may know thatthe sixthandfifth [modes]can alsobe playedby the
terminos
in which this fantasiamoves.
En estafantasiapassada
haueysvistopordonde
podeystaierel quintotonoenlavihuela.
y por
estosterminos
mismos
sepuedetanier
tambien
el sextotono.Estafantasiaqueagorase siguees
delsextotono.el qualle he mudado
se
porotraparteenlavihuela
paraquesepaysquetambien
puedetaier el sextoy quintotonosporlos terminos
queestafantasiaanda.
37
APPENDIX 3
el moro[vocal part]
Conpavorrecordo
re-cor-do el mo-ro yem-pe-o de gri

Conpa-uor
misa-rre-os sonlas ar-
tosdar
mas mides-can- so es pe-
le-ar Mica-ma las du-ras pe-iias midor-mir siem-prees
den raslarmisyes-ti-dossonpe-sares quenose pue-
ve-
oar
APPENDIX4
Chords that involve fret IV that appearin the solo vihuela pieces in El Maestro
a) SharpIV fret
J2J
15,54444442i
5!15
1I
J2
41"
(cadential
figures)
b) Flat IV fret
38
NOTES
1Luis Milan, Librode musicade vihuelaintituladoEl Maestro(Valencia,1535;
facsimile edition: Minkoff, Geneva, 1975); modern editions by Leo Schrade
(Leipzig,1927;2/Wiesbaden, 1976),andCharlesJacobs(Pennsylvania,1971).The
didacticpurposeof this work is statedunequivocallyin the preface (sig. A. iii),
whereMilandeclares:'Bookof vihuelade manomusicentitledThe Teacher,which
follows the same style and order that a teacher would follow with a beginner,
showingin an orderlyfashion,andstartingwith the rudiments,everythinghe may
demusica
devihuelademano.Intitulado
requireto understandthe presentwork.'('Libro
El Maestro.El qualtraheel mismoestiloy hordenquevn maestro
convn discipulo
traheria
mostrandole
hordenadamente
dendelosprincipios
todacosaquepodriaignorar:
principiante:
')
paraentenderla presenteobra.
This purposeis confirmeda few pageslater (sig. B. i): 'Thisbook, as you have
heard,is intendedto traina vihuelade manomusicianin the sameway as a teacher
would do with a disciplethathadneverplayedbefore.' 'Estelibrocomoya aueysoydo:
es su intencion
devihuelademano:daquella
mismamanera
formary hazervn musico
quevn
maestro
hariaconvn discipulo
quenuncahuuiessetaiido.')
2 To avoid
anypossibleconfusion,the followingconventionswill be followedin
the body of the text: note-nameswill be in capitals(A, C, etc.); tuningsin italic
capitals(A, E); fret numbersin romannumerals(I, IV);coursenumbersin Arabic
numerals(2, 5); numberof the modes in Arabicordinals(1st, 5th); and intervals
spelt in full (octave,fifth).While these conventionswill not be followed strictlyin
the translationof quotations,everyefforthasbeen madeto ensurea clearrendering
of the originalwith the additionof interpolations,when necessary.
andTemperament:
A Historical
3 J. MurrayBarbour,Tuning
Survey(Michigan,1951;
2/New York, 1972), pp. 11-12, 45-6, 164-5, and especiallyp. 188. See alsoJ.
Ward, 'The vihuela de mano and its music (1536-1576)', unpublishedPh.D.
dissertation,New York University, 1953, pp. 32-6. Another scholar who has
studiedin detailthe use of differenttemperamentsfor the lute, vihuelaandviol is
M. Lindley,in his work Lutes,ViolsandTemperaments
(Cambridge,1984), hereafter
referredto as Lindley(1984). In this work Lindleyarrivesat the conclusion(p. 93)
that 'as far as music specifically for lute or viol is concerned, the use of an
instrumentfretted for equal temperamentis never historically'wrong''.
4 GiovanniMariaLanfranco,
ScintillediMusica(Brecia,1533);MarinMersenne,
HarmonieUniverselle(Paris, 1636-7); Juan Bermudo, Declaracion
de Instrumentos
Musicales
(Ossuna,1555);FranciscoSalinas,De MusicaLibriSeptem(Salamanca,
1577).
5 MurrayBarbour,pp. 28, 45-6, 151-3 and 185; cf. Lindley(1984), pp. 9-18
and 43-56.
6 Bermudo,fol. cii: 'Enmedio
delostrastes
tonoponedvno:y sifuerefaauia
queforman
de serallegadohaziala ceja:y si fueremi allegadoa la partede la puente.'
7 Bermudo,fols. cv-cvii. See also A. Corona-Alcalde,'FrayJuanBermudoand
his Seven Vihuelas',TheLuteXXIV, Part2 (1984), pp. 78-86.
8 Bermudo, fol. cixv.
9 See Barbour,pp. 164-6.
10Tomasde SantaMaria, Librollamado
Arte de TaherFantasia(Madrid,1565);
facsimileedition: Arte Tripharia(Madrid,1984), book 2, fol. 122v: 'Lasobredicha
quintaquese dadestecefautgravea gesolreut
agudono ha dequedar
perfectamente
afinada,
sinoquegesolreut
masbaxo.'Thisreferenceappears,in fact,
vnpoquito
agudohadequedar
39
in the secondpartof chapter53, where SantaMariaexplainscarefullyhow to tune

the monochordbut only indicatesthe intervalsbetween the coursesof the vihuela
(fol. 123). For a discussionof the limited relevanceof SantaMaria'swritingsin
relationto the vihuelasee W. E. Hultberg,'SanctaMaria'sLibrollamadoArte de
TanerFantasia:a criticalevaluation'(unpublishedPh.D. dissertation,Universityof
SouthernCalifornia,1967). vol. I, pp. 157-60.
o cinco
11Bermudo,fol. cviiv: 'Acaece,
quevn trastees mi,y hadeestarassiparaquatro
en la vihueladegamauten el
cuerdas,
y parala vna,o dosauiadeserfa.Pongamos
exemplo
trasteprimoy quinto.Ciertoes,quetodaquarta
en el quarto
hollada
es vnisonus
conla tercera
en vazio.Luegoholladala dichaquarta
en el quintoauiadevenirconla tercera
en elprimero.
Puesen estavihueladegamautno viene.Es la causadesto,queel quintotrasteesfa, y el
es mi... Si el trasteprimero
a la cejaquedemilo hiziessen
allegassen
primero
fa: sinfalta
Loqueen estosdostrastes
vnisonus,
ningunaestarian
y comoquedan
puestosnosonvnisonus.
he practicado:
en otrosmuchos.'
hallareys
12M. Lindley, 'Luis Milan and Meantone Temperament',Journalof the Lute
XI (1978),pp. 45-62, hereafterreferredto as Lindley(1978).See
SocietyofAmerica
also Lindley(1984),pp. 51-6 and94, where he qualifiesthe conclusionmentioned
in footnote 2 saying: 'An instrument fretted for some form of meantone
temperamentmaybe the most appropriate,historicallyas well as aesthetically,for
some music of the first half of the sixteenth century. This seems particularly
promisingfor the music of Arnold Shlick and Luis Milan.'
13 Lindley (1978), p. 60; Lindley(1984), pp. 52-4.
14 The editionused for the purposeof these studiesis the one by L. Shrade,1976
reprint(see note 1), hereafterreferredto as Shrade.
the whole of El MaestroassuminganA tuning;see also
15 L. Shradetranscribed
Lindley(1978), p. 47, and Lindley(1984), pp. 51 and 97.
tonosporestosterminos
16 Shrade,p. 68: 'Siempre
el quarto
quetafrereys
queesta
y tercero
trastedelavihuela
vnpocoel quarto
paraqueelpuntodeldichotrastesea
fantasiaanda:alcareys
fuertey noflaco.'
mismosenlavihuelaquela
17 Ibid., p. 84: 'Estapresente
fantasiavapor los terminos
fantasiapassadaanda:y abaxahastael dezenotrastedelavihuela.'
trastevn
haueysdealcarel quarto
is Ibid.,p. 358: 'tahendo
porestaspartesen/la vihuela:
pocohazialas clauijasde la vihuela.'
19Lindley
(1984),p. 54.
(1978),p. 60;Lindley
20See E. Dombois, 'Varietiesof meantonetemperamentrealizedon the lute',

Journalof the LuteSocietyof AmericaVII (1974), pp. 82-9 (p. 84).
21 C. Jacobs, edition of El Maestro (see note 1), pp. 296-302 and
309-13.
are found in Antonio de
22 Some examplesof the possiblemeaningsof termino
en Latin(Seville, 1516), ed. by G. J. Macdonald
de Romance
Nebrija'sVocabulario
(Madrid,1981), p. 186, where terminois translatedas:
porfin [as end] terminus-i. Finis -is
[as territory]ager-gri
por territorio
por linde[as boundary]limes-itis. Finis -is
23 Shrade,p. XXX: 'Miren
tiene:
haze:y queterminos
bienladichafantasia
queclausulas
el
tono
veran
todo
lo
enella
donde
hazer.'
justamente
puede
que
primero
porque
fenece:
y
24 Ibid., p. 6: 'Esta
se
estaescritaes delprimero
tono.y tambien
fantasiaqueaquidebaxo
va
los
terminos
en
la
vihuela
anda
hadetaherconel compas
que
lafantasia
apresurado.
y por
40
se dala musicamasfacilen la vihuelaqueporotrosquela

passada
porque
porestosterminos
no seandificilesde tarner
trastey paraque
musicahuuiesedesubirmasarribadelcinqueno
al
vanporestosterminos
faciles.'
principiante:
25 See M. E. Grebbe, 'Modalityin the SpanishVihuelaMusic of the Sixteenth
Centuryandits Incidencein LatinAmericanMusic',AnuarioMusicalXXVI (1971),
pp. 25-59, andXVII(1972),pp. 109-29 (p. 113),wherethisauthorconcludes:'The
peculiarcharacteristicsof vihuela tunings and scordaturatechniquesguided the
selection of convenientmodal transpositions,which made possible the efficient
solution of performanceproblems.'
26 It is importantto make it clear that Milan uses the word terminos
in various
senses,associatingit freelywith the modesandtheirrange,or, as alreadydiscussed,
with the vihuelaitself. The formermeaningcan be deducedfrom statementssuch
of the 5th and6th modes'(Shrade,p. 72:
as:'Thisfantasiagoes throughthe terminos
'Vaestafantasiaporlosterminos
delquintoy sextotonos'),while terminos
appliedto the
fromwhichthe modewill be recognizedmust
modalrangeappearsin: 'Thesuperius
haveten notes of reckonedtermino'(Shrade,p. 378: 'Eltipledondese hadeconoscer
el
The instrumentalsensecanbe foundin
tonohadetenerdiezpuntos
determino
contado').
the examplesadducedin the text. These considerationssupportthe interpretation
of terminosas a synonym of 'territory';a territorythat can be defined by the
instrumentalpatterns,or by the notes and range of a specific mode.
27Milanhimselfmentionsthe correctfinalisof each mode: 1st and 2nd: D; 3rd
and 4th: E; 5th and 6th: F; and 7th and 8th: G; see Shrade,pp. 379-80. This
descriptioncoincides with the classificationestablishedby the contemporaneous
theoreticians;see S. Rubio, Lapolifoniacldsica(Madrid,1956), pp. 52-3.
acaban
en clausula:
acaban
con
porque
algunas
2sSchrade,p. 380: 'Notodaslasfantasias
o consonancia.
ellasacaban
notomareys
detalmanera
unacadencia
y quando
porclausula
final
la dichacadencia
sino la postrera
clausulaquelafantasiahaceantesde la cadencia.'
Milan distinguishesbetween what he calls a clausula,a propercadence, and a
a seriesof chordsthatcan convey the samesenseof finalityto the end of a
cadencia,
piece, but which do not conformto the normalpatternof a polyphoniccadence;to
avoid confusion I have translatedthe latter as 'close'.
29 The pieces for solo vihuelain El Maestro
that do not end at the final cadence
are: Fantasias7, 11, 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 30-4, and Tientos 1, 3 and 4.
30 Grebbe(1971),pp. 52-3 mentionsthe consistentuse of B6 as 'key signature'
for the 5th and 6th modes. Cf. Bermudo,fol. lxxiiv; this authordevotes a whole
chapter(book 4, chap.23) to combatthis practice,while neverthelessrecognizing
its widespreaduse: 'I understandwell thatthese two modes are more usuallysung
with [B-]flatthanwith any other propriety'('bienentiendo
queestosdosmodosmasse
cantanpor bemolquepor otrapropriedad';
loc. cit.), and, some pages later, when
speakingof the 6th mode: 'KnowthatI treatof the trueone, andnot of the one that
is alwayssung and played with [B-]flat' ('Sepanquetractodelverdadero
y no delque
cantan
y taflensiempre
porbemol';fol. lxxv). On the otherhand,Tomasde SantaMaria
readily accepted this practice; see A. Zaldivar Gracia 'Aportacionessobre la
discrepanciamodalentreBermudoy SantaMaria:El sexto modo cantadosiempre
con bemol', NasarreIII, 1 (1987), pp. 203-23. See also Rubio, p. 51.
la musica
o mudanel instrumento
31Bermudo,fol. xcV:'0 mudan
parael instrumento:
parala musica.'In Bermudo'sview, 'changingthe instrumentimplied not only
assuminga differenttuning,but alsochangingthe placeof the fretson the fretboard
accordingto the chosen tuning; see Corona-Alcalde.
41
32 Shrade, 320: 'Esta

p.
fantasiaquesesigueesdelsextotono... porestasmismas
partes
sepuedehazerel octauo.
esquefeneciendo
losdosenunmismo
Ladiferencia
puntosedirafefavt
si es sextoy gesolreutsi es octauo.'
33 Milan consideredthat the mode was determinedby the behaviourof the
see Schrade,p. 378: 'It shouldbe knownthatthe modeis to be recognized
superius;
of the musicalcompositions... in sucha way thatthe superius
only fromthe superius
fromwhich the mode will be recognizedmusthave ten notes of reckonedtermino.'
ensoloen[sic]tipleenlascomposturas
demusica...
('Esdesaberqueel tonosehadeconoscer
de maneraqueel tipledondese ha de conoscer
el tonoha de tenerdiezpuntosde termino
contado.')
He also states,concerningthe plagalmodes,that:'They have the saidtermino
of
ten notes, half above, countingsix notes aboveof its finalcadence,andhalf below,
five notesbelow the finalcadence.'('Tienenel dichotermino
dediezpuntos:
lameytadpor
arriba,quecontareys
seyspuntosencimade su clausula
final: y la meytadpor abaxoque
cincopuntosdebaxola clausula
contareys
final.')
The superius
of Fantasia38, in the 6th mode, goes five notesbelow andfive above
its finalis, and therefore lies within the range of the mode, as establishedby
the contemporarytheoreticians as C-F-C. Two further notes were added
'with permission'(conlicencia),one above and one below to make the total of
ten notes mentioned by Milan; see Santa Maria, book 1, fol. 61 (quoted in
Rubio, p. 51).
that: 'Every
34 Bermudo, fol. xxvii, when speakingof the monochord,states
blackkey thatis sharpcannotbe flat, andthose that are flat cannotbe sharp'('toda
teclanegraquees mi, no puedeserfa: y todala quefuerefa, no puedeser mi'). This
dispositionof the frets of the vihuelain an unequaltemperamentis subjectto the
same considerations.
35 Bermudo, fols cvivcvii; see also Corona-Alcalde,p. 80.
was secondonly to that
36 Grebbe(1972),p. 114, remarksthatthis transposition
of the 1st mode in G; she states, besides, that 'this transposition,equivalentto
Glareanus'Ionian,, alreadyhad an acceptedplace in art music'. See also pp. 115
and 177.
37 The only exception appearsin Fantasia20, bar 194, where the fifth course
stoppedin fret IV forms partof the chord C0 /E/ G. It is most improbablethat
Milanwould have used a diminishedfifth chordin this context,which leadsto the
conclusionthat this must be a typographicalmistake,and that the correctreading
should be C naturalin the third fret.
38 Shrade, 174: 'La
traemasfacilidad:
musica
p.
passada
y estaquesesiguemasdifficultad:
porquela quehastaaquihaueysvistoha dadoprincipios
y medio/yestadafin. y porestoes
muchomasdfjficultosa.'
tonoporotrapartequeenel libroprimero
39 Ibid.:'Esta
fantasiaquesesigueesdelprimero
hosfigure.y assivereysenestesegundo
librolostonosporotraspartesen la vihuelaqueeneste
passadolibrohaueysvisto.'
40 Although Milan does introduce new tunings in the second book, he also
includes some pieces in the same tuningshe had alreadyused in the first book.
These pieces are:Fantasias34-37 and40 in the sametuningas Fantasias18, 21 and
31-33 in the same
22, all of thempertainingto the 7thand8th modes;andFantasias
tuning as Fantasias16, 17 and 20, all of them of the 5th and 6th modes (see
appendix1).
42
41
Shrade,p. 206: 'Estafantasiaes del tercerotono/el qualhos he mudado

por otras
partes';Shrade,p. 216: 'Estafantasiaquese siguees delquartotono:y andaporlaspartes
mismasen la vihuelaquelafantasiapassadava.'
42 See footnote 30 andGrebbe
(1972),p. 52, who mentionsthe consistentuse of
FO for the 7th and 8th modes.
43 Fora study of the accidentalsnormallyassociatedwith each mode in vihuela
music see Grebbe (1971), pp. 49-59.
44 The classification
proposedin the body of the text is basedon the notes that
couldbe consideredas'proper'to eachmode, butit is necessaryto makeit clearthat
the use of the accidentalsthatappearmore or less sporadicallymay causea piece to
fluctuatebetweentwo groupsof terminos.
Forexample,the B6 thatis so often used
in the 1stand2ndmodesmaycausea piece inA to move betweengroups1 and2, or
a piece in E between groups2 and 5.
45 See, for
examplethe rubricto Fantasia1 (Shrade,p. XXX): 'Twothingsmust
be consideredin the following fantasiasof the presentbook . . look well at the
modes that follow, because they show how the modes must be played on the
vihuela.'('Doscosasse handeconsiderar
en lassiguientes
fantasias... mirarbienlostonos
comose han de taherlos tonosen la vihuela.')
quesiguenporqueellasmuestran
Or the rubricto Fantasia7 (Shrade,p. 32): 'Lookwell throughwhich terminos
it
goes andthe cadencesit makesandyou will see all thatthe thirdmodecanrightfully
do.' ('Mirenbienpor los terminos
queanday las clausulas
quehazey verantodolo que
justamente
puedehazerel tercerotono.')
46Bermudo,fol. cv, when talkingabouthis sevenvihuelas,consideredthattheA
and D vihuelasformed a group on accountof their similarities:'All these seven
vihuelasmaybe groupedin threedifferences[i.e. differentgroups]:the G vihuela,
thatof C andthe one of F arevery muchalike ... The A vihuelaandthe one of D
areverymuchalike,andthe one of B andthe one of E aresimilar.'('Todas
estassiepte
vihuelas
vihuela
de
de
de
ceraut,
podemos
poneren tresdifferencias.
gamaut,
y
ffaut se
La
mucho
... LavihueladeArey ladeDsolreseparescen
mucho:
parecen
y la demiy ladeElami
son semejantes.')
47 See note 18.
48 The rubricto 'Con
el moro'(note 18) also statesthat:'The chords
pavorrecordo
should be played slowly and the scalesthat appearat the endings,after the voice
consonancia
a espacio:
finishes,very fast.'('Hanse detafierloquefuere
y losredobles
queay
a lasfinalesquando
la bozacabamuyapriessa.')This is a clearparallelwith the fantasias
of consonancias
in the firstbook andthe tientosof the second:in both cases
y redobles
the pieces follow instrumentalratherthan polyphoniclines.
49 Shrade,p. 206: 'Esta
fantasiaesdeltercero
tono/elqualhoshemudado
porotras
partes:
el tercero
tonoen la vihuela
porquemejor
paresce
y quarto
pordondeestafantasiaanda/queno
pordondeva lafantasiapassada.'
50 The
conflictingnotesin the F#3 piecesappearin the followingcases:Fantasia
27, bar45; Fantasia28, bar 123; Fantasia29, bar26; Fantasia30, bars122 and 200;
and Tiento 2, bar 6.
51 See note 46.
52
en la vihuelacommun
Bermudo, fol. ciiv: 'Realmente
no haysemitonomayor,ni
menor:
ambos
entaldisposicion:
enlos
peroquedan
quesepuedetafer.. . Loqueandarepartido
trastes
demaso demenoses mediacomma,
Porloqual
luegoestafaltao excessonose conocera.
al inventor,
delavihuelacopiossisimo.'
tengomuygranrazondealabar
quedexovninstrumento
43
" Enriquezde Valderrabano,

SilvadeSirenasValladolid,1547),fol. lxxiv: 'Baxarse
a vn pocoel quartotrastehaziael lazo.'
54 Lindley (1984), p. 22. The pieces in question are found in Valderrabano,
fols xlviiiv-li.
55 Lindley (1984), pp. 51-2.
56 Shrade,pp. XXIII-XXIV.
7 Other sources that provide tuning instructionsfor the vihuela are: Diego
Pisador,Librode musicaparavihuela(Salamanca,1552), facsimileedition: Minkoff
(Geneva,1973),sig. A.iiv;Bermudo,fol. xciV;LuisVenegasde Henestrosa,Librode
cifranuevaparateclaharpay vihuela(Alcali de Henares,1557),edition by H. Angles,
Monumentosde la MfisicaEspa'iolaII, 2 vols (Barcelona,1944; 2/1984), vol. I,
p. 161; SantaMaria,book 2, fol. 123.
58 Shrade,pp. XXI-XXII: 'I have alwaysbeen so inclinedtowardsmusic,that I
canaffirmandstatethatI neverhadanyotherteacherbut [music]herself' ('siempre
sino
hesidotaninclinado
a la musica/quepuedoafirmar
y dezir:quenuncatuueotromaestro
ella misma').
deprincipios
demusica
sindejarninguna
19Juande Espinoza,Tractado
y teorica
practica
cosaatras(Toledo, 1520), facsimileedition:JoyasBibliograificas,
Viejos Librosde
Mfisica 13 (Madrid, 1973), sig. e. ii: 'Pueslos violerosque hazenel masperfecto
demanossin
instrumento
quese estahechoni sepuedehazercomoya estadichoporartificio
deninguna
tienenningunconoscimiento
saberellosdondeo comotienelaperfection
... tampoco
en
la
los
certinidad
vihuela
trastes
ayadevnoa
paraponer
porcompas
paraqueperfectamente
en
lacuerda
midiendo
otrolaperfecta
e propria
cantidad
quehadetener:comoloharael musico
a
lasproporciones
en queconsisten
lasconsonancias
queay dendevnacantidad
y dissonancias
nipuedenestaren otros
ni menores
otra:lasquales
porquenaturalasdanopuedensermayores
tienendeandarcomo
sabeporfuerca
lasreglasquelsolomusico
lugares:
perocomoellosignoran
vienea taher
el tafledor
et subiendo
los trasteshastadexallosdondequando
andanabaxando
lacausadeloqualesqueansiel vnocomoel otro
lostienedemudar
detodossuslugares:
forcado
hazenaquellosoloconel sentido.'
es la
no bienacertada
60 Bermudo,fol. cii: 'Vnadelascosas
queen la vihuelahehallado
sinosonlosquevsan
bienentrastado:
esteinstrumento
delostrastes.
Apenashallareys
postura
los singulares
tafiedores,
quelosponena compasde su buenoydo.'
61
62
Dombois,p. 87.
taierenestavihuela
lostonos,o modos
naturales
Bermudo,fol. cviiv: 'Todos
sepueden
tomen
en la manera
enqueestaentrastada
porsusletras
finales.Paralasfaltasqueseofrecieren
lastalesbozesen otrostrastes.. . o ponerotrotraste
losauuisosotrasvezesdados,debuscar
seamasgruesoqueelprimero
el qualcuando
sepusiere
quetiene:
primero:
porla talnecessidad:
porqueal hollarnofreze la cuerda.'
63 B. Lieto Panhormitano,
Dialogoquartodi musica(Naples, 1559), sig. D. iv:
datenere
la scientia,habbiate
nouadi Tastisecondo
'Ese uipiaceratenerequestaosseruatione
cheun
de
Tasti
Tasto
...
e
la
doi
uno
geminati
per
per ragion Philosophi,
quelli
questofarete
et
il minore,
si osserua
Tonosi deueosseruare
perdoiSemitoniminoriet coma,et delSemitono
attentochela Violasenzaquellagiaproduce
s'alcunodicessechequestasottilitanonaccade,
nepuohauerilpanemangial'herba.'
chinonconosce
buonaconsonanza,
dateliquestarisposta,
64Bermudo,fol. cvii: 'Lassobredichasfaltas
conponerlos
remediarlas
pretenden
algunos
Do porexemplo
el traste
acostados
delquadrado.
dondeestanlasdichasfaltas
sacandolos
trastes
dela vihueladegamaut,el qualesmiparaquatro
cuerdas,
y auiadeserfaparalatercera
primero
y segunda.Yparahazerel dichofaponenel taltrasteen viaje,ypierdelaprimavnpoco,y las
44
enlasdemonstraciones
mi.Queestonosearemedio
sinoemplasto:
otrasquelehauianmenester
sobredichas
puedeser visto.'
65 Shrade,p. XXIV: 'Templada
puntosdecanto:
queseala vihuelaporestossobredichos
el dedosobrelasegunda/
en el cinqueno
traste:
y tarlelda:
y
eysdeestamanera.
Porneys
affinarla
o abaxando
noestatanaltacomolaprima;affinalda/
si la dichasegunda
alcando
algunpocola
segundao el dichotraste.'
The sixteenth-centuryword for 'tuning', templar,does not carry any pitch
connotations,referringinstead to the intervalsbetween the courses, while the
modern term afinardoes imply specific pitches; Milan's reference to afinaris
exceptional,but the context shows that what he meansis to refine or perfect the
'tuning' of the intervalsbetween the courses. I have therefore translatedfreely
templaras 'to tune', and afinaras 'to fine-tune'.
66Dombois,p. 87. Thisauthoralso states(p. 89), thatthereis no suchthingas an
ideal temperament,and that the selection of the temperamentdepends on the
structureof the piece (as it happenswith the works of Milan):'Indeed, no ideal
temperamentexists for all occasions.Sometimes"699 cents temperament"is the
optimum, sometimesmeantoneor "698 cents temperament",occasionallyeven
equal temperament.Which is best dependson severalfactors,particularlyon the
tonal structureof a given lute piece.'
67 Ibid.
68
Lindley(1984), p. 56.
69 Althoughthisarticleis devotedto the studyof the use of fret IV, andtherefore
no referencehas been made to other frets, this does not mean that the rest of the
fretsbehaveconsistently;on the contrary,similarinconsistenciesappearin frets 1,
3, 5, 6, 8 and 10. Discussingall these frets would have lengthenedthis study
unnecessarily,without modifying in the least the final conclusions.
70 Lindley (1984), p. 3.
45

You Will Raise A Little Your 4th Fret

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

You Will Raise A Little Your 4th Fret

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

CORONA-ALCALDE

We have seen playerswho.try to play in the fourthmode using the

HE first known book of music for vihuela, El Maestroby Luis Milan,

was destined for an instrument fretted for an unequal temperament. On the

It is worthwhileto classifythese pieces accordingto the modes to which

[When]playingthroughthesepartson the vihuela,you shouldraisethe fourthfret

in Fantasia12 thereareno examplesas clear-cutas these, it can be inferred

samefunctionof sharpin Fantasia14; furthermore,the asteriskedchordis

Furtherproofof the stablepositionrequiredof fretIVis providedby the

clarification is found in the rubric to Fantasia 2:

In this context the mode (and presumablyits cadences and end) is

fretboardof anyparticulartuningfor the vihuela,pointingout thatit could

3rd and 4th

anotherway to corroboratethe conclusionsstatedabove. Eachparticular

the diagramsof two pieces (Fantasia14 in A, and 16 in E), showingall the

the music,in whichcasethe resultwill dependupon

Comingbackto the casein whichthereis a realneedto move fretIV,it is

open course above, never occurs, as opposed to the pieces in A tuning

The relevance that Bermudo's writings might have in the context of

scale structuresimilarto that of a modem majormode: in brief, such a

The evidenceprovidedby the firstbook of El Maestroallowsus to draw

a) Milan uses different terminos,a word that may be interpreted as a

assumedtuningsfrom those used in the firstbookP.4Fantasia23 itself can

frets the semitones occur, and therefore to establish if a specific fret

This graphic diagram may be also expressed numerically: the notes on

EX. 32. Group1: (6)0235/(5)0235,

example: Fantasia 35 in A tuning belongs to the 8th mode, whose 'key

Al, without accidentals(sixteenpieces)

different ways: as a sharp, as a flat, or inconsistently, providing sharps for

EX. 41. Tiento 2

EX. 42. a) Fantasia27

EX. 43. Fantasia31

fret is sharp,it is necessaryto ensurethatthe fret hasthe correctposition,

EX. 46. Fantasia 24

Fantasia24. The need for sharpsis also confirmedby the cadentialfigures

The inconsistenciesthat ariseout of the use of conflictingfunctionsin

tunedat the unison,a minorthird,a fourthanda fifthapart;M. Lindleyhas

Anotherargumentagainstequaltemperamentcanbe foundin the tuning

virtuallyimpossibleto playanypiece euphoniously:the octavebetweenthe

These quotationssupport the feasibility of the hypothesisproposed

system should present. In order to meet the needs of the tablaturesin

a) Choosinga sharpor flat position,and toleratingthe conflictingnotes.

give him thisanswer:thathe who does not know or cannothavebreadeatsherbs.3

This observationis of particularinterest, since Lieto Panhormitano's

satisfy the conditions stipulatedabove to be consideredas suitable for

c) The apparentinconsistencyfound in the rubricto Fantasia14 can be

re-cor-do el mo-ro yem-pe-o de gri

misa-rre-os sonlas ar-

mas mides-can- so es pe-

le-ar Mica-ma las du-ras pe-iias midor-mir siem-prees

den raslarmisyes-ti-dossonpe-sares quenose pue-

in the secondpartof chapter53, where SantaMariaexplainscarefullyhow to tune

20See E. Dombois, 'Varietiesof meantonetemperamentrealizedon the lute',

se dala musicamasfacilen la vihuelaqueporotrosquela

32 Shrade, 320: 'Esta

Shrade,p. 206: 'Estafantasiaes del tercerotono/el qualhos he mudado

" Enriquezde Valderrabano,

69 Althoughthisarticleis devotedto the studyof the use of fret IV, andtherefore

Вам также может понравиться