Sixteenth-Century Printed Tablatures for the Lute, Guitar, and Vihuela: An Annotated Bibliography

Compiled by Dr. Gary R. Boye
Music Librarian, Appalachian State University


T
here were well over 200 books of music for plucked-string instruments printed from 1500 to 1599. Most of these sources were written for the lute, vihuela, or guitar. There were also a few books for one of four lesser-known instruments: the cittern, the bandora, the mandora, and the orpharion. Almost all of these books employ a notational system called "tablature" and most were written for amateur performance at home.

Tablature Chronology--all tablatures listed in order of publishing date

Composers--all composers listed alphabetically

Printers--all printers listed alphabetically



Click this icon wherever you see it to return to this page:

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**NOTE: There are no complete tablatures on this Web site--only incipits (the first few measures of a piece) for identification and study purposes.**

This is a work in progress--like most Web pages--but I hope to be adding more detailed information as I work through the sources . . .


© Copyright Gary R. Boye 1995-2002.

Page Author: Gary R. Boye
Music Librarian
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC USA
Last Update: 12 August 2002