Biblioteca de la Guitarra y Cuerda Pulsada

Baroque-lute-scales: a supplement to the Lernui-methodology (Lutezine, no. 114, pp. 33-47).

In an earlier number of ​Lutezine — i.e. no. 113 — I presented a Baroque-lute-methodology that I call Lernui​. Based on the related, guitar-based CAGED-system, this approach reduces basic chord-playing on the Baroque-lute down to three basic right-hand-formations which I call models (see fig. 1 below). These three can additionally be altered into their respective minor-version by lowering the thirds half a tone (see fig. 2 below). Together they cover most of the chords in standard harmonic play and thus presents an efficient methodology for playing chords all over the fretboard, which in turn makes improvisation more accessible. The name Lernui functions as a mnemonic device for the models as seen on the fretboard from the performer’s perspective; ‘Ler-’ refers to the major-versions of the three models and ‘-nui’ refers to the minor-versions (see fig. 3 below).
In the process of improvising e.g. fantasias, preludes, ​doubles​, continuo-parts, however, chord-progressions are most often not enough by themselves to produce interesting musical performances; we also need to include melodic movements and various sorts of linear play. In this supplement to the earlier presented Lernui-approach I present several scales utilising fretboard-charts that the musician can place on the music-stand to support melodic play. Combined with the three-model-approach these scales should aid the aspiring improviser to gain a better sense of comfort and control when fantasising through lute-performances.
In all scale-charts below (i.e. fig. 4 through 55) stars represent the ground-notes, squares represent the fifths and circles represent all others intervals. The order of the scales presented is: 1)
Major, 2) minor, 3) harmonic-minor, 4) melodic-minor, 5) dorian, 6) phrygian, 7) lydian, and ultimately 8) mixolydian. In order not to confuse the reader too much by giving all different naming-conventions for each modal-scale, I have chosen to employ today’s standard nomenclature throughout
 

Baroque-lute-scales: a supplement to the Lernui-methodology