NEW CITHAREN LESSONS, With perfect Tuning of the same, from Four course of Strings to Fourteen course, even to try the sharpest teeth of Envy, with Lessons of all sorts, and methodical Instructions for all Professors and Practitioners of the CITHAREN. By THOMAS ROBINSON, Student in all the seven liberal Sciences. The tuning of the Citharen with fourteen course of strings. unisons | diapasons | diapasons. These seven with frets are double strung | all the other single | twisted. LONDON Printed by William Barley, and are to be sold at his Shop in Gracious-street. 1609. Cum Privilegio. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, SIR WILLIAM CECIL, Viscount Cranborne, Son and Heir to the Right Honourable the Earl of SALISBURY, and Knight of the Honourable order of the bath, Thomas Robinson wisheth all happiness, with the increase of all true Honour and Virtue. WAlking in my Garden of good will (Right Honourable,) I could find no better Flowers, than those that spring from faithful Love, bound with the bond of duty, to make my labours gracious in your thoughts. Love to your Honour, sprung from the root of your Lord and Grandfathers bountiful and most Honourable kindness towards my Father, who was (until his dying day) his true and obedient Servant. Duty bindeth me, for that I was myself sometimes Servant unto the Right Honourable, THOMAS Earl of Excester, your Honour's uncle, and always have tasted of the comfortable liberality, of your Honour's Father; for whose sake (next under God) I crave your Honour's Pardon, for this my bold attempt. Thus breeding (Right Honourable) as it were a protection from your Pardon: I most humbly leave you to the Lord, and betake myself to my Prayers for your Honour's health and prosperity in all condign dignity. Your Honours to command in all duty. Thomas Robinson. To the Reader. GEntlemen, blame me not although I have been so long cracking of this nut, sith at last I have given you the sweetest cornel of my conceited Cithering. For first, you shall have strange lessons with strange tunings for the four stringed Citharen, the like never found out before for sweetness and goodness to play (even an organ kind of play) alone, also lessons for two to play together, & withal a third Citharen; (which invention was first begun by an Italian in Italy, but altered, and strings augmented by me.) Containing fourteen course of strings: most full, sweet and easy, for the which Citharen, I must remain a thankful debtor, and well willer to a most kind and loving Gentleman and scholar of mine, Master Edward Winne, an attendant of the Right Honourable ROBERT Earl of Salisbury, now Lord high Treasurer of England. Thus not forgetting myself, in remembering my friend, I most lovingly bid you all Adieu. Your musical friend Thomas Robinson. A new, easy, and perfect Introduction to the Citharen, set forth both for the learned and them which are unlearned. Scholar. GOD give you good morrow Sir, this is the hour and time, the which you appointed me to come and keep, and truly sir, if it please God that I profit (according to your promise) by your good instructions, you shall not find me unthankful. Master. Welcome good Scholar, and truly I have great hope in you, for that I see you so willing, and withal I see you have already laid hold of one of the best properties which doth belong to a physician, which is: to keep time, likewise if your capacity, be answerable to your desire▪ I doubt not but that you will quickly prove a good Scholar: come, where is your Citharen and your Book. Scholar. here sir they be both. Treble. Mean. Base. Tenor. Master. It is well done of you, you have Gotten a very good Citharen, for it is both fair and good, true fretted, and easy to play upon. Now in the name of God let us begin, and first mark, as your Citharen lieth before you with his 4 course of strings, so likewise the 4 lines or rules in your book lie accordingly, and represent the same strings as here you see mentioned▪ And also, as the frets or stops of your Citharen extend the whole breadth of the neck of it called the finger board: so every string hath both the name and use of the same fret one so well as the other, as if you stop in the first fret, (with your forefinger) in the treble, than it is b in the treble. if you stop the first fret in the mean, than it is b in the mean, and if you stop the first fret in the base, than it is b in the base, if you stop the first fret in the tenor, than it is b in the tenor, and so of the rest of the stops cdef etc. but where you see a in any of the strings, that string must not be stopped, but must be stricken open. Scholar. Truly this is most plain and easy, for a child of 4 years of age that knoweth but his letters abc may conceive this as well as one of 20. years old. But when shall I begin to learn to play a lesson. Master. I will tell you when, even then when you have gotten all these rules following by heart without book, and also can tune your instrument yourself. Scholar. why? how if it be this month before I can them by heart? shhll I not learn a lesson this month? Master. No, for to learn before you know what, why, and how: were like a Bee moyld in a barrel of honey, for how were it possible for you to play well? with a good grace? comely without making of antic faces: except you first know a rule, or reason to guide your hand and body. Scholar. Well Sir, if it be your will that I shall first learn those rules, before I shall learn to play a lesson? I am contented to get them by heart, for you are my Master, and you know what is best to be done for a Scholar, write down your rules, and god willing I will not touch my Citharen, until I can them perfectly by heart. Master. I commend you, do as you say, and upon my life you shall very so one attain to your desire for the Citharen, for if you should get false fingering at the first, you should be constrained, first to learn to forget, before it were fit for you to remember, which were both a grief, trouble, and loss of time and charges. Therefore in the name of God mark these rules following. The first rule. Note, that first, in stopping of your instrument, that you hold out the wrist of your hand, for so you shall stop both the cleaner, and with more ease, be the readier to carry your whole hand too and fro at your pleasure. The second rule. Note, that where, or in what stop so ever you are stopped with your forefinger, that there, in the same stop you hold your thumb right over against it. The third rule. Note, that in what stop so ever you are stopped, that you pluck away no finger until you needs must. The fourth rule. Note, that in any full stop, that you relish with that finger that is most idlest, and in a single stop, with that finger that is the strongest. The fifth rule. Note, that you do not strive with any stop, but do it with ease, for painful playing, causeth many odd antic faces. The sixth Rule. Note, that in running of a point, where you leave a stop, you leave a finger, and where you leave no stop, you leave no finger. As for example. The seventh Rule Note that, that is said to be a point, when two of one time, four or twice four, all which go by two and two, and the second is single, or all be single stops, as is above mentioned. The eight Rule. Note also, that the first of a point is to be strucken downward, and the second upward, and for that purpose where you shall strike upwards, it is noted under the letter with a prick or point, as you see above: The Ninth Rule. Note, that you stop clean, and also strike clean, in a full stroke plump together, not raking or scattering. The tenth Rule. Note that you lean upon no finger, but the little finger of your right hand. The eleventh Rule. Note also, that you lean lightly upon the Citharen with your right arm. The twelfth Rule. Note, that you keep always your hands clean, and your nails short. These rules had perfectly without book, you shall then learn to tune your Citharen as followeth. First, set up your Trebles so high as you dare venture for breaking, and let them be both of one tune or sound, then set up your Menes, stopping them in (c) making them in (c) to agree with the Trebles in (a) open all in one sound, then set up the Base, stopping it in (b) making it agree with the Menes all in one tune; then lastly set up the outermost strings called the Tenor, stopping it in (d) making it agree with the Menes in (a) open all in one sound; this done, your Citharen will be in tune ready for you to learn a lesson. To tune the Citharen. Scholar. Truly sir, I like these Rules very well, and God willing I will not rest until I have them perfectly by heart, but I pray you what signify those figures underneath the stops. Master. They signify with what fingers you shall stop, as thus: the figure of one thus noted 1. is for the forefinger, the figure of two thus noted 2. is for the second finger, the figure of three thus noted 3. is for the third finger, and the figure of four thus noted 4. is for the little finger, and look under what letter any of these figures stands at, that letter is to be stopped with that finger which that figure doth represent, and so many letters as stand one right under another must be stricken all together, and so the uppermost letter shall have the uppermost figure, and so the next letter under, the next figure under, and so the rest. Now followeth the times either long time or short. This figure here under placed, will instruct thee more plainly, concerning the valuation of the said notes, the Characters being expressed by the notes of Music thereunto adjoined. Example. A Semibriefe. A Minim. A Crotchet. A Quaver. A Semmi Quaver. A Prick Semibrefe A Prick Minim. A Prick Crotchet. A Prick Quaver. Scholar. I thank you sir, all this I see is both good and necessary, and now, when it pleaseth you, set me some lessons I pray you, for I find myself very ready and very happy to meet with so good a Tutor. Master. Now you find my words true, that without these Rules it had been impoissble for you to have profited any thing at all, and now I will God willing set you down some lessons fit for you to learn, and so harder and harder, and that better and better. Finis Thomas Robinson. For the Citharen. MY Lord Treasurer his Pavane. THe Galliard to the Pavin before. A Fantasy. WAdes Welfare. Powles' Carranta. O O Cupid look about thee. For two citerns in the unison. A jig for two citerns. A jig for two citerns. The first Lesson both for instruction, and also to play alone as a good Proficient. A Ground. PIpers Galliard. A Psalm. Philips' Pavin. A Galliard. A Galliard: Can she excuse my wrongs. A Galliard. A Psalm. PAssamezo Pavane. OFt I have forsworn her company. GALliard to the Quadron Pavin. AN Almain. A French Toy: EXcuse me. Robinson's Idessbie. AN Almain. THe Frog. Robinson's Riddle. Shepherd shoothome. joan come kiss me now A Psalm. PAssamezo Galliard. THe new Hunts up SOuches March. Whetelies' wheat sheaf. O Hone. AN Aimaine. AN Almain I Lift my heart to thee. AN Almain Robinson's modicum AN Almain. FArewell dear love. ALexander Chezum his Curranta. RObar●s Request. THe Quadro Pavin. For two Citharens. For the Citharen. WHat if a day. AH, ah alas, thou God of Gods▪ bow down thine cares divine lend Ladies here warm water springs to moist their crystal eyen, that they may weep and wail and wring their hands with me for death of my be- loved son, alas, alas, alas, alas, alas, lo dead is he, oh ●od thou that guidest the ghosts and souls of them that are fled, send sighs send sobs, send grievous groans, and strike poor David dead: Absalon, Absalon, O my son Absalon, my spirit with thine shall fly, come death most sweet, alas most sweet, for now, for now▪ for now, for now I crave to die to die, to die I crave to die. NOw Cupid look about thee, thy Kingdom is decay-ing, young men begin to flout thee, young men begin to flout thee and turn their deeds to saying, in men there is no passion, love is so out of fashion. NOw Cupid look about thee, thy Kingdom is de- caying: young men begin to flout thee, and turn their deeds to saying, in men there is no passion, love is so out of fashion. Here endeth the Lessons for four course of Strings. depiction of cittern Here beginneth Lessons for Fourteen Course of Strings. Paavana Passamezo. M North his Novel. FAntasia. FAntasia 2. FAntasia. 3. FAntasia 4. FINIS.