Tuning

One of the most common lute tunings of the medieval lute is supposed to have been the G-tuning. This could have looked as follows:

The Four-course lute (from around 1380-1400): EE / aa / dd/ g’ (I use the version of /GG / aa / dd / g’ in my four-course tablature)

The Five-course lute (from around 1475 onwards) DD /  GG / aa / dd / g’

[A=440] *

*which is probably not historically accurate; it is estimated that pitches anywhere between 415 and 435 Hz. were more common but not at all standardized. I have heared other pitches in modern medieval interpretations, though, such as the 445 Hz. frequency.

This is definately the tuning I recommend! When researching different websites of luthiers and those of the subject matter, you might also encounter other tunings.

For example:

Dd / Gg / aa / dd / g’

Or:

Dd / gg / aa / dd / g’

In some cases the high G-string, which normally is treated as a single-string (also called “chanterelle”), was even doubled:

Dd / Gg / aa / dd / g’g’

In my opinion the octaved D – and G – courses are adapted from to the more commonly known tuning of the Renaissance-lute, but I do recommend not to use octaved courses at all for medieval plucked instruments.

Other authors suggest an A-tuning, or D-Tuning, or even a Renaissance-based tuning (like the first five courses of the G-tuned Renaissance lute), which would be:

Cc / Ff / aa / dd/ g’

The advantage of this tuning is that you can use French Renaissance tablature (that is well standardized and easy to read) one -on -one, which comes in useful, as there are authors writing medieval themes in this tablature-form. Also, an F-tuning is known e.g. from the medieval citole and might have, therefore, also existed in the medieval lute.

If you play a medieval four course lute, that means that you do not have the lowest course of a five-course lute (which is the low D-course) – but the chanterelle, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th course are identical, of course. This means the following tuning in your case (if you choose a G-tuning):

Gg / a a / d d / g’

Shortly before a 5th course became a standard in the medieval lute, an open G-tuning in which the low G-course was simply substituted by the low D-course, existed. Since you can also get your low “G” by simply pressing the low D-course on the 5th fret, it comes in more practical and also sounds better than the usual Gg / a a / d d / g’ – tuning ever could. The result is a more harmonious and resonant medieval lute-tuning which gives you a larger variety of tones and can be played in an “open chord” manner as well. So, this would looks as follows:

Dd / a a / dd / g’

Anyhow, you can surely use the given tablature in whatever tuning as long as your instrument is tuned in the following intervals (from low to high):

/ Quarth / Second / Quarth / Quarth /

or

/ Second / Quarth / Quarth / (in case of a standard medieval four-course – tuning)

or

/ Fifth / Quarth / Quarth / (in case of an open tuning on a medieval four-course lute)

If you have an instrument with a scale length of roundabout 58 cm (the free vibrating string) though, I definately recommend to use the G-tuning I describe further up.

Please note: Some of my tablature is noted in an open g-tuning as well. So, I definately recommend to use a chromatic tuner!

https://www.wikiaudio.org/what-is-a-chromatic-tuner/