Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	great_a	see_v	time_n	3,599	5	3.1979	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10857	The schoole of musicke wherein is taught, the perfect method, of true fingering of the lute, pandora, orpharion, and viol de gamba; with most infallible generall rules, both easie and delightfull. Also, a method, how you may be your owne instructer for prick-song, by the help of your lute, without any other teacher: with lessons of all sorts, for your further and better instruction. Newly composed by Thomas Robinson, lutenist.	Robinson, Thomas, fl. 1589-1609.	1603 (1603)	STC 21128; ESTC S101591	14,879	58

to and fro at your pleasure letting the middle part of the neck of the Lute slide vp and downe the brawne of the thumb which is against the nayle of the said thumb houlding out the wrest of the hand and alwaies carrying your thumb against your forefinger in any stop whatsoeuer for so shall your hand be the more comelie the more readie and with the more ease stop any stop the cleaner now for your right hand called the striking hand leane vpon the bellie of the Lute with your little finger onelie that neither to far from the Treble strings neither to neere and although you ought to leane lightlie yet carie your hand steddilie not sliding out of his place also remembring to leane lightlie vpon your anne vpon your Lute for otherwise it will paine the sinewes and hinder your play All the aforesaid had both in memorie and practise the houlding of your Lute carrying of your hand and sitting vpright with your bodie I mean then in the name of God houlding the Lute as is aforesaid comelie with your thumb against your forefinger as it were readie to stop yet but onelie houlding your Lute then with the thumb of your right hand houlding the rest of the fingers straight forth before your thumb neither to neere the strings nor too farre off begin to strik the first string downward with the thumb onelie and also striking with your thumb behind your fingers say Base Tenor Contra-tenor Great Meanes Small meanes Treble This done then begin at the Trebles and so goe vpward viz. backward striking them string by string with your forefinger before your thumb that is houlding downe your thumb behind your fingers and name them in order saying Treble Small Meanes Great Meanes Contratenor Tenor Base this doing so oft downward and vpward nameing them and also striking them with the thumb behind the fingers that you haue it most perfect and readie both in mind fingers This perfectlie had learne to know your frets in order and in stoping them comelie cleanlie stronglie the first string or Treble stopped in the first fret by the head of the Lute with the fore-finger is in the Treble and so stopped in the small meanes great meanes c. The first fret is the second fret is the third fret is and so forth vntill you come to which is the last fret about the neck of the Lute but you may glue on more fretts in fit place and space vntill you come to Againe if you haue 14. 16. or 18. strings those bases are called Diapasones now hauing the names knowledge of the strings and stops perfectly by roate you shall also learne to know them by booke called Tableture Kni. Now truely Timoth I like this method verie well for I perceiue great reason in it But we in old time haue bene taught with rigour not by reason that made vs thē run now vnregarded for I see that the houlding of the thombe alwaies against the fore-finger giueth not onely a great ease grace to the player but also it determineth a certain limitation to the hand as of necessitie it must be so proceed good Timotheus Tim. Sir by this you see how necessarie a thing it is to know how to hould an instrument before it is to know how to stop it and likewise how fit it is to know both how to hould what to stop first by roate before it were fit to learne by the booke for quell the spirits quaile delight Now you know how to hold your Lute also what the strings and stops are vvithout booke Now you shall learne vvhat they be by the booke look how you name them vpon the Lute in order vpward and downward so these lines by the like denomination shall signifie vnto you what strings they be by Tableture Example Treble Small Meanes Great Meanes Contra-tenor Tenor. Base SOme in the steed of i put y and although you heere see but six single lines and vpon the Lute euerie string double you shall vnderstand that two strings are in one tune also beare the name but of one string as Base not Bases Tenor not Tenors Now let vs proceede to learne a lesson by the booke But first take this lesson by the way offer not rashly to stop or strike but be well aduised with what finger to stop with what to strike and for that purpose mark what figure standeth vnder the letter whether the figure of 1. 2. 3. or 4. for these figures represent the 4. fingers of the left or stopping hand The figure of 1. representeth the first or fore-finger 2. the second 3. the third and 4. the little finger Also that letter which is to be striken downward and if there be a prick vnder the letter that letter must be striken vpward this well noted begin to play these stops and strokes following striking them by 4. and 4. all in one length of time vntill you can play it a pace or runne it quick Doe these points perfectly not striuing at it but with such ease as if you did it carelesly obseruing the carriage both of hand body when you are weary leaue it and to it againe but go to it with a willing minde Kni. How would you haue them learne this lesson not knowing the tymes ouer head were it not necessarie to teach them that first Tim. No for the time without stops or tune is but an abstract my purpose is first to teach thē the stops then the times with all afterwards therfore I haue set it with all one time ouer head as you see vntill the lesson be perfectly had both the name nature of that time well cōmitted to memory and this lesson had than will I instruct them in all the varieties of tymes as followeth A young beginner although this were Semiquauer tyme shall in the despight of his hart make euery stroke a Semibrefe then as he multiplyeth in perfectnes so he shal multiply in fastnesse of tyme wherby is to be noted that from one time all other are multiplyed doubled as for example This long stroke here is in Tableture a Semibrefe which by adding of one dash to the top as thus maketh it double his tyme that is twice as fast a tyme as it was before And by adding one dash more to that dash thus maketh it yet as fast againe as the second by adding a third dash thus maketh it yet as fast againe as the same And by adding the fourth dash thus doubleth the time before him whose names are as followeth A Semibrefe A Minim A Cratchet A Quauer A Semiquauer So that you see two Minims go to a Semibrefe as thus two Cratchets to a Minim as thus two quauers to a Cratchet as thus And two Semiquauers to a Quauer as thus All which multiply the Semibrefe as heere you see Heere you see two Minims make a Semibrefe Likewise foure Cratchets make a Semibrefe Also eight

at this so cheefe and necessarie science of Arithmaticke I hould it best to stay the processe of Musicke as touching the necessitie of other than these which I haue mentioned to bee fit in a good Musition Kni. I like you wel loue your Musicke the better for your good discourse therof and my hope is in a maner alreadie satisfied but notwithstanding there remaineth in mee a little spark of feare of an euell that may happen after all your paines taken and my cost bestowed Tim. Why sir it may bee you feare least your children should die when you haue brought them vp well and bestowed great cost vpon them or if they should proue vnkinde hereafter or if they should set light by that good qualitie which cost them so little and you so much Kni. You say well good Timotheus all this is to be doubted but I feare none so much as the last which is that they will be carelesse and forgetfull of so excellent a qualitie as is playing vpon the Lute and my feare is the greater for that it was mine owne fault that in my youth could haue played so well as any in those daies and now it is as cleane forgotten and which is more I haue no willing mind in the world either to practise to recouer that I lost or to learne a new for the play that is now and the lessons that are now a daies are so curiouslie set that we of the olde mine are smoakt vp like to sea cole and this age hath the golden ore and sparkling diamondes of diuine Musitions that for mine owne part I am content to giue place both to youth and the time onelie content to be an auditore and louer of the best Tim. Sir it is verie true that manie both men and women that in their youth could haue played for that kinde of play passing well in their age or when they once haue beene married haue forgotten all as if they had neuer knowne what a Lute had ment and the reason I finde to proceed in the beginning of their learning from the ignorance of their teachers for in older times they stroue onelie to haue a quick hand vpon the Lute to runne hurrie hurrie keeping a Catt in the gutter vpon the ground now true then false now vp now downe with such painfull play mocking mowing gripeing grinning sighing supping heauing shouldring labouring and sweating like cart Iades without any skill in the world or rule or reason to play a lesson or finger the Lute or guide the bodie or know any thing that belongeth either to skill or reason Kni. Now truely Timotheus I am perswaded you haue hit the marke and when it went so hard with them in such easie and simple stuff as then they vsed what shift would they make to play at the first sight in these daies an indifferent lesson set if they were now liuing but I pray you can you play any lesson at the first sight and also teach others to doe the same Tim. Yea Sir that I can or else I were not worthy to be a teacher for it hath ben the most part of my studie to bring the Lute Citharen and other instruments of Musick into a method by generall rules most perfect and easie so that with my instructions one that cannot vse the Lute or other instrument may verie readilie attaine to a good habit therof Kni. Well Timotheus the verie truth is I haue hard so much as you say therfore in the name of God begin with my children when you please and God willing you shall bee pleased for your paines but I will make this condition with you good Timotheus that you shall giue me leaue to aske you some questions by the way in your instructions for it doth me good to heare your reason how say you Timotheus are you content it shall bee so Tim. With all my hart Sir for by so doing I shall daylie injoy your good companie and with all it will greatlie further the profit of your children and with the more ease and comfort passe ouer the tediousnes of teaching Kni. I thanke you Timotheus but what if you did first write downe all such rules as you vse for instruction that they may from the beginning hauing them by hart do nothing but that they may haue it in memorie and grounded by reason Tim. You say well it shall bee so and at your pleasure aske what questions you please and I will shew you the reason for it to the full and I hope such as shall satisfie you fullie wherefore in the name of God I thus begin First it behoueth a scholer to haue a verie good instrument verie well strung faire to the eie and easie to reach any stop whatsoeuer and verie well-sounding Kni. Why mee thinks it were no great matter what instrument a beginner hath considering that for the most part young beginners soone make old instruments as young scholers soone make old bookes Tim. Indeede to haue a good instrument lieth as much in the habilitie of the parents or friends as also in their good wils to haue it so but why I think it good to haue if it were possible euen the verie best instrument for a learner at the first is this a good instrument will please a learner euery way for it delighteth them to looke and behold it now then likewise they loue easie and smooth instruments and although they can do but little yet it will sound well and so incourage them to learne with delight whereas contrariwise a bad or dull instrument will quell their spirits quite so that in a long time or neuer will they profit in their forced labours Kni. I promise you it now seemeth to mee verie good reason that it should bee so and againe it is an old and true saying that one good thing is euer worth ten bad also there is small losse in a good thing it euer yeldeth monie with profit well here is a Lute according to your desire in all points I pray you goe forward good Timotheus Tim. Now you haue a good Lute it behoueth you to loue it and vse it well for by the vsage you shall shew your loue therfore marke how you ought to vse your Lute aboue all things keepe it from wet for wet will spoile the strings and make loose the ribs and when you haue done playing vpon it put it vp into the case putting the Trebles a little down but first you shall learne to handle your Lute with a comelie grace readie to play with delight and to this purpose in the name of God doe as I shall instruct you GENERALL RVLES FIrst sitting vpright with your bodie leane the edge of the Lute against the table and your bodie against the Lute not too hard for hurting your Lute neither to softlie for letting of it fall for the table your bodie and your right arme must so poyes the Lute that you may haue your left hand at libertie to carie