Guitar Music in the Sixteenth Century

• Works for the Guitar

• Composers for the Guitar

Most of the music for the guitar in the sixteenth century is for the four-course instrument. Gut strings were used, plucked by the fingers, and the instruments were generally much smaller than modern guitars. There were a variety of tunings, but the most common is listed below.

Guitar Tablature

Only the French and Italian types of tablature were used for the guitar, each with a four-line staff.

French Guitar Tablature (4 courses)

(Fantasie from Morlaye 1552b)

             \                       \             \
     |       \             \         \             \             \ 

a'= _d_______d_____________d__________________a____b__d__f_______g_
e'= _a_____|_a_____a__b__|_a___d___|____b__d_____|_______d_____|_d_
c'= _a_____|_a__c________|_a_______|_a___________|__________f__|_a_
g = _______|_____________|_________|_____________|_a___________|___

Italian Guitar Tablature (4 courses)

g = ---0----------------------------
c'= --------1-----------------------
e'= ---------------2----------------
a'= ---------------------3----------