EP1212746A1

EP1212746A1 - Lute

Info

Publication number: EP1212746A1
Application number: EP00967541A
Authority: EP
Inventors: André BURGUETE; Benno Streu; Günter Mark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-08-26
Filing date: 2000-08-25
Publication date: 2002-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 2020-08-25
Also published as: ATE232637T1; DE19940486A1; AU7770400A; WO2001015134A1; JP2003507775A; EP1212746B1; US6852916B1; DE19940486C2; DE50001253D1; ES2192544T3; JP4834267B2

Abstract

This invention relates to a lute comprising a body-shaped sound box and a neck attached thereto. The sound box is made up of a domed rear section and a cover. The aim of the invention is to provide a lute which can meet the needs of modern concert performances and be used by contemporary guitarists, whereby the excellent sound qualities of the lute are retained and the instrument can be used in a modern-day orchestra. This is achieved by providing the cover and the string-holder with a outwardly curved shape; a surface that is devoid of any transverse beams is arranged on the underside in an approximately symmetrical position with respect to the string holder and said surface is configured as a strip-free surface or fitted with strips which are symmetrical with respect to the center axis.

Description

Lute

The invention relates to a lute with a bulbous and towards an apparent tip tapered body and with a neck attached to the side of the tip on the so-called stick or block. This neck has a fingerboard which is fretted. The neck carries a peg box at its free end. The sound body consists of an arched back of the lute, the edge of which is always curved outwards between one side of the neck and the other side and which lies on one level. Furthermore, the sound body consists of a ceiling, the edge of which is connected to the edge of the back of the lute. This blanket is provided on its underside facing the back of the lute with spreaders or fan beams, which are referred to below as strips, and cross beams. On its upper side opposite the underside, the blanket is provided with a tailpiece which is connected to the blanket in a third of a center line of the blanket most distant from the neck on this center line and in its longitudinal extent transverse to the center line. Several strings are stretched between the peg box and the tailpiece. In the half of the midline near the neck, one or more openings are made in the area of the strings between the top and bottom of the cover.

From Martius, Claus: Leopold Widhalm and the Nuremberg lute and violin maker in the 18th century; Publication of the Institute of Plastic Technology and Conservation in the Germanic National Museum, Volume 4, Erwin Bochinski Publishing House, 1996, the last stage of development of the lute in the 18th century is known. After that, a lute is provided with a bulbous sound body that runs towards an apparent tip on which a neck is attached. It is part of the generally known state of the art that the neck has a fingerboard which is provided with frets and which carries a peg box at its free end. From the eighteenth-century lute it is also known that the sound body consists of an arched back of the lute, the edge of which is always curved outwards between one side of the neck and the other side. The edge of the back of the lute lies on one level. The back of the lute is covered with a blanket, the edge of which is connected to the edge of the back of the lute.

The ceiling, like almost all parts of the lute, is made of wood. The grain direction of the ceiling is parallel to its center line. This means that early and late wood of the ceiling form almost straight stripes that are essentially parallel to the center line of the ceiling.

The well-known lute is provided with seven crossbeams that lie transversely to the center line and thus in particular transversely to the grain direction of the wood of the ceiling. The predominant surface of the underside of the ceiling is provided with crossbeams. Fan beams are only arranged in the quarter of the surface on the underside facing away from the neck. The central longitudinal lines of these fan beams have a common intersection, if any, that lies in the third of the center line of the top surface facing away from the neck.

In particular, there is an approximately common intersection in the area of a tailpiece arranged on the top of the cover. This tailpiece is located in a third of the midline of the blanket that is farthest from the neck. It is connected to the ceiling on this center line and in its longitudinal extension transverse to the center line. Several strings are stretched between the peg box and the tailpiece. The classic stringing consists of 13 strings which have the tuning A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - d - f - a - d'- f '. The first ten strings are listed as double strings. Only the d 'and f strings are single strings.

From Jose L. Romanillos: Antonio de Torres, a guitar maker - His life and work, publisher Erwin Bochinski, is known for the structure still used in concert guitars after Antonio de Torres around 1850. Such a guitar has a top and a bottom, both of which are connected to one another by a frame. This frame is conspicuously fitted, so that the top and bottom follow this pattern. A crossbar is arranged in the area of this waist. In addition to two other crossbeams in the area of the ceiling near the neck, this known guitar is also provided with two sloping strips in the area away from the neck. Between these sloping strips and the bar in the waist region of the guitar there are further strips or so-called fan beams, the parts referred to as strips having only about 1/10 of the cross-sectional area of the parts referred to as bars. Approximately in the middle between the waist and the distal end of the guitar, the tailpiece is attached to the top of the blanket. As is known, six strings are tuned in the tuning E - A - d - g - h - e 'between the tailpiece and the peg box located at the free end of the holder.

Today's guitar, developed in Spain in the mid-19th century, is undoubtedly one of the most popular musical instruments today.

Nevertheless, it only acts as a proxy for the lute for European music.

The lute has become one of the most important sound tools in Western music culture since the 15th century. Many well-known composers left works that were written for the lute. These works, however, can hardly be reproduced on the guitar that plays the role of proxy, or only inadequately, which is why they have largely been forgotten.

The reason for pushing back the sounds from today's orchestras is that almost all orchestral instruments have developed significantly in recent centuries have performed, but not the sounds. As a result, the lute lacks volume, is difficult to play, has limited expressiveness and an outdated form of notation.

A string instrument is described in US Pat. No. 1,361,182 which has a body which has a substantially closed frame which surrounds an upper and a lower side. The top and bottom are each convex. This instrument has no crossbars or bars and the body differs from the typical lute shape, so that this instrument will have a sound that differs significantly from that of a lute.

The German utility model G 88 08 073.0 describes an instrument that reproduces the structure of a guitar described above.

It is therefore the object of the invention to design the lute in such a way that it meets modern concert conditions and is accessible to today's guitarists while maintaining its excellent sound properties, in order to enable the lute to be reintegrated into today's orchestral apparatus.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the ceiling of the lute including the lute holder is curved outwards, the greatest distance between the curved ceiling and the plane being at least 2 mm. Furthermore, a crossbar-free surface is provided on the underside of the ceiling, which corresponds to a first partial surface, for example between the tailpiece and the region of the edge facing away from the neck and a second partial surface of approximately the same size adjacent to the first partial surface between the mutually opposite edge regions. The crossbar-free surface is either designed as a strip-free surface or provided with center-symmetrically arranged strips. Through the ceiling The curvature of the lute is achieved so that it has a stability that makes it possible to dispense with heavy stiffening of the ceiling. This makes it possible for this ceiling area to vibrate more easily, which improves the sound entering the instrument.

Consequently, the surface area on the underside of the blanket, which lies under the tailpiece, has little or no stress, which, however, does not hinder sound entry and sound propagation.

In a favorable embodiment of the invention it is provided that the covering, if it exists, consists of strips which run essentially in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the central axis.

This can be designed such that the strips run at an acute angle to the direction of the longitudinal extent of the central axis. The course of the strips is to be understood so that their central longitudinal lines form at most an angle to the central axis that is less than 45 °.

In a possible embodiment of the invention it is provided that the strips run in a fan shape in such a way that their central longitudinal axes intersect at a fictitious point on the central axis of the ceiling or its extension in the direction of the neck.

As an alternative to this, it is also possible for the strips to run parallel to the center line.

In a further embodiment of the invention, an even number of strips is provided. This ensures that the central axis remains unpopulated.

In another embodiment of the invention, an odd number of strips is provided. Since the strips are basically arranged symmetrically to the central axis of the ceiling, an odd number of strips ensures that the central axis is also always occupied.

The number of bars three, five, seven or nine is particularly suitable as an odd number.

In a favorable embodiment of the invention it is provided that the thickness of the ceiling decreases towards the edge, at least in the area of the crossbar-free surface. This creates a high proportion of bass notes.

In principle, such an application enables a uniform sound to be introduced from the tailpiece onto the ceiling.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the ends of the crossbeams rest on supports (brackets).

The invention can also be further developed in that at least two strips run under contact-free at least the crossbar, which is closest to the crossbar-free surface. This is done in that the crossbeam has a tunnel-shaped recess at the point of intersection between the crossbeam and the bar. This avoids contact between the bar and crossbeam and enables sound to be introduced via the bars into the area of the area that is provided with crossbars.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the fingerboard is extended to the ceiling by a ceiling section. The arrangement of the frets continues on this section. This arrangement makes it possible that the higher strings can be played with higher notes.

With this configuration it is useful to cover the ceiling to strengthen the ceiling section on its underside with a piece of hardwood. On the one hand, this increases the mechanical stability of the cover in this area, which is expedient since a not inconsiderable pressure is exerted on this cover area when the strings are used. On the other hand, this also increases the sound input of the strings over the top, since when the higher strings are played with higher notes, the vibration volume of the strings and thus their volume is very low, especially if the top is flexible in this section.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that eight strings are tensioned on the lute, which have the tuning C - D - E - A - d - g - h - e '. With such a covering it becomes possible to play all guitar music since 1800 and modern music. If the g string is also tuned down by a semitone to f sharp, it becomes possible to play the entire lute music from 1450 to 1630.

As an alternative to this covering, it is possible to provide the lute with 15 individual strings, which give the tuning G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - B - d - f - a - d '- f 'or have the mood G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - B - d - f - a - d' - g '. Such a covering provides the opportunity to play all lute music between 1630 and 1800, parts of the guitar repertoire, music of the 19th and 20th centuries, parts of the lute music repertoire from 1450 to 1630 and contemporary compositions.

The invention will be explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment. In the accompanying drawings

1 shows a side view of a lute according to the invention, FIG. 2 shows a top view of the underside of the ceiling of the lute according to the invention and FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the lute according to the invention. As shown in the drawings, the lute 1 has a bulbous sound body 2. This is designed so that it runs towards an apparent tip 3. A neck 4 is attached to the tip 3. This neck 4 has a fingerboard 5, which is provided with frets, not shown. At its free end, the neck 4 carries a peg box 6.

The sound body 2 itself consists of a curved lute back 7. The edge 8 of the lute back 7 is always curved outwards in its course between one side 9 of the neck 4 and its other side 10. Furthermore, the edge 9 lies on a plane which is indicated in FIG. 3 by the reference number 11. Furthermore, the sound body 2 consists of a ceiling 12, the edge 13 of which is connected to the edge 8 of the lute back 7.

On its top 14, the blanket 12 is provided with a tailpiece 15. The tailpiece 15 is arranged on a center line 16 of the top 12, namely in its longitudinal extent transversely to the center line 16. In this position the tailpiece 15 is connected to the top 12, for example by means of an adhesive connection.

Several strings 17 are stretched between the peg box 6 and the tailpiece 15. On the half of the center line 16 near the neck, an opening 18 is made in the ceiling 12 in the area of the strings 17, which opening is closed with a Rossette 19 such that several small openings are formed.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 3, the cover 12 including the tailpiece 15 is curved by a so-called arrow height 20. This arrow height is 2 mm or more in this exemplary embodiment.

A crossbar-free surface 21 is provided on the underside of the ceiling 12. This crossbar-free surface 21 consists of a first partial surface 22 and a second partial surface 23. The first partial surface extends approximately between the string holder 15 and the region 24 of the edge 13 facing away from the neck. The second partial surface 23 adjoins the first partial surface 22 and is approximately the same size as the first partial surface 22. The second partial surface extends between mutually opposite edge regions 25 and 26.

On the crossbar-free surface 21, strips 27 are arranged in a center symmetrical manner. Their central longitudinal axes 28 intersect at a fictitious point on the extension of the central axis 16 in the direction of the neck 4.

A total of seven strips 27 are provided in the exemplary embodiment. However, another odd number of strips 27 is also possible. Five crossbeams 29 are arranged in the remaining surface area of the underside of the ceiling. The rosette 19 is secured with small securing bars 30 against being pressed in.

In a manner not shown, the fingerboard 5 is extended to the ceiling 12 by a ceiling section. The ceiling section has frets. As can be seen from Figure 3, the ceiling 12 is reinforced under the ceiling section on its underside with a piece of hardwood 31.

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Claims

Loud patent claims

1. Lute with a bulbous and towards an apparent tip and a neck attached to the side of the tip, which has a fretboard, which is provided with frets and which carries a peg box at its free end, with the bell from a curved lute back , whose edge is always curved outwards between one side of the neck and the other side and which lies on one level, and there is a blanket, the edge of which is connected to the edge of the back of the lute, with the underside facing the back of the lute Last and crossbar is provided, which is provided on its upper side opposite the underside with a tailpiece, which is connected in a third of the center line of the ceiling most distant from the neck on this center line and in its longitudinal extension transverse to the center line with the ceiling, wherein between the peg box and the tailpiece several strings g and that in the neck-near half of the center line in the area of the strings there are one or more openings between the top and bottom, characterized in that the cover (12) including the string holder (15) is curved outwards, the greatest distance (20) of the arched ceiling (12) above the plane (11) is at least 2 mm, that on the underside of the ceiling (12) a crossbar-free surface (21) is provided, which is a first partial surface (22) approximately between the tailpiece ( 15) and the area (24) of the edge (13) facing away from the neck and a second partial area (23) of approximately equal size adjoining the first partial area (22) between the mutually opposite edge areas (25; 26) corresponds, the crossbar-free surface (21) at the same time is designed as a strip-free surface or is provided with strips (27) arranged in a symmetrical manner.

2. Lute according to claim 1, d a d u r c h g e k e n n - z e i c h n e t that the strips (27) essentially in

Direction of the longitudinal extension of the central axis (16).

3. Lute according to claim 1 or 2, so that the bars (27) run at an acute angle to the direction of the longitudinal extent of the central axis (16).

4. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the strips (27) run fan-shaped so that their central longitudinal axes (28) in a fictional point on the central axis (16) of the ceiling (12) or its extension in the direction cut the neck (4).

5. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 2, so that the bars (27) run parallel to the central axis (16).

6. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 5, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that an even number of strips (27) is provided.

7. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 5, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that an odd number of

Last (27) is provided.

8. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 6, so that the thickness of the ceiling (12) decreases towards the edge (13) at least in the region of the crossbar-free surface (21).

9. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized characterized in that the ends of the crossbeams (29) rest on supports.

10. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that at least two strips at least the crossbar, which is closest to the crossbar-free surface (21), undermine contact-free, in which the crossbar at the intersection with these strips has a tunnel-shaped recess ,

11. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 9, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the fingerboard (5) is extended by a ceiling section on the ceiling (12) and that the arrangement of the frets on the ceiling section is continued.

12. Lute according to claim 10, so that the ceiling (12) in the area of the ceiling section on its underside is reinforced with a piece of hardwood (31).

13. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 11, so that eight strings (17) are tensioned, which have the tuning C - D - E - A - d - g - h - e '.

14. Lute according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that 15 individual strings are tensioned, the tuning G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - B - d - f - a - d ' - f or the mood G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - B - d - f - a - d '- g'.