Vihuela Music in the Sixteenth Century

• Works for the Vihuela

• Composers for the Vihuela

The vihuela was a gut-strung Spanish instrument, similar to the guitar in shape but tuned like a six-course lute.

Vihuela Tablature

Milan was the only vihuelist to use an inverted form of Italian tablature (similar to modern guitar tablature); the other composers use Italian tablature.

Milan's Vihuela Tablature ("Neapolitan" Tablature)

     |      \         |       \                   | 

g'= -0----|-0-------|-------|-5-------|-3---0---|-2-
d'= -1----|-0-------|-3-----|-3-------|-0---2---|-3-
a = -3----|-1-------|-5-----|---------|-----3---|---
f = ------|-----2---|-5-----|-4---0---|-2-------|-0-
c = ------|---------|-------|---------|---------|---
G = ------|---------|-------|---------|---------|---

Italian Vihuela Tablature

("Fantasia" from Mudarra 1546)

     |.      \                               |      

G = -------------|-----------------|---------------|---
c = -------------|-----------------|---------------|---
f = -------------|-----------------|---------------|---
a = -3-----------|---------3-------|---------------|---
d'= ---------0---|-1---3-------0---|-1---3---5-----|-3-
g'= -------------|---------0-------|---------3-----|-2-