The Viol (usually
called) de Gambo, or Consort Viol, because the Musick theron is play'd from
the Rules of the Gam-ut, and not as the Lyra-Viol, which is by Letters or
Tableture. Of this Viol de Gambo there are three several sizes, one larger than the
other, according to the three Parts of Musick set forth in the Gam-ut, viz. Treble-Viol,
Tenor-Viol, and Baß-Viol. The Treble-Viol plays the highest Part,
and its Lessons are prick'd by the G sol re ut Cliff 
; the Tenor-Viol, or middle
part, its Lessons are by the C sol fa ut Cliff 
; and the Baß-Viol, which is the largest,
its Lessons are by the F fa ut Cliff 
. These three Viols agree in one manner of
Tuning; where I shall give you the Directions for Tuning the Bass-Viol, which is
usually strung with six Strings (as you may observe on the Figure expressed in the
foregoing page) which six strings are known by six several names; the first, which
is the smallest is called the Treble; the second, the small Mean; the
third, the great Mean; the fourth, the Counter-Tenor; the fifth,
the Tenor or Gam-ut string; the sixth, the Bass. But if you
will name them after they are Tuned, according to the Rule of the Gam-ut, the treble
string, is D la sol re; the smal Mean, A la mi re; the great
Mean, E la mi; the Counter-Tenor, C fa ut; the Tenor or
fifth string, Gam-ut; and the sixth or Bass, double D sol re.
Belonging to these six strings there are seven Frets or Stops on the
neck of your Viol, which are for stopping the various Sounds, according to the
several Notes of the Gam-ut, both Flats and Sharps: For the more
plain understanding of which, I have drawn an exact Table in the following pag. 88.
Beginning with the lowest Note on your sixth string, and so ascending to the
highest on the first or Treble string. Your perfect understanding of that
Table will much further you in the knowledg of Tuning your Viol; for which Tuning I
will give you two Rules, one by Tableture or Letters, the other by the Gam-ut
Rule; the first being the easiest way to a Beginner, whose Ear at first is not well
acquainted with the several distances of Sounds that the Strings are Tuned in, shall by
this way use only one sounding, viz. an Unison, which is to make two strings
(one of them being stopt, the other not) to agree in one and the same sound: The Letters
are Eight, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H; seven of these are assigned to the seven Frets
on the Neck of the Viol; A is for the string open, so B is the first Fret,
C the second, D the third, E the fourth, F the fifth, G
the sixth, and H the seventh.
When you begin to Tune, raise your Treble or smallest string as high as conveniently it will bear without breaking; then stop only your second or small Mean in F, and tune it till it agree in found with your Treble open; that done, stop your Third in F, and make it agree with your Second open; then stop your _Fourth in F, and make it agree with your Third open; then stop your Fifth in F, and make it agree with your Fourth open; and lastly, stop your Sixth in F, and make it agree to your Fifth open. This being exactly done, you will find your Viol in Tune, according to the Rule of the Gam-ut.
The other way of Tuning is by the Rule of the Gam-ut, by distances of Sounds, as in the foregoing Example, thus: The Treble being raised as high as it will conveniently bear without breaking, is called D la sol re, then tune your second four Notes lower, and it is A la mi re; the third four Notes lower is E la mi; the fourth three Notes, or a flat Third lower, is C fa ut; the fifth four Notes lower, is Gam-ut; and the sixth four notes lower than the fifth, is double D sol re: This is the most usual way of Tuning it; yet there are some Lessons do require it one Note lower, which is double C fa ut, but that is very seldom.
Your Viol being Tuned, practice to play this Example of the Notes ascending and descending, and by it you shall know your Viol is right Tuned.
It is usual in Lessons for the Baß-Viol, to change the Cliff where the Notes ascend above D la sol re, which is very necessary to prevent the drawing of more lines above; therefore the Practitioner ought to be perfect in the C sol fa ut Cliff on the middle line, as you see in the five last Notes of the Table; also this Example mentions the like agreement of Notes in both Cliffs.
In this Example the Notes prick’d in the Tenor Cliff, are the same with those in the Baß or F fa ut Cliff, and are stopp’d in the fame places on the Viol. This I thought fit to mention, because you will meet with the change of Cliffs in the following Lessons.
Observe, that in the foregoing Table the Sharp (
) before a Note
makes it stopt a Fret lower, and a b Flat before a Note a Fret
higher; for two Frets go to one whole or perfect Note, as that Table doth direct:
Sometimes you may see a before D sol re, then it is stopt a Fret
lower, which is the place of E la mi flat, so if a Flat is set before A
la mi re, it is a Fret higher, which is G sol re ut ; the like of
other flat or sharp Notes.
Also if a B flat or B sharp be set on Rule or Space at the beginning of any Line with the Cliff, that Flat or Sharp makes all the Notes which are in the same Rules or Spaces to be flat or sharp through the whole Lesson.
These Directions for the Baß-Viol do also serve the Treble-Viol, which is strung and tuned in the same manner, only eight Notes higher, G sol re ut on the Treble is the Eighth above G sol re ut on the Baß, being stopped on the same String and Fret with the Baß; and so other Notes accordingly.
The Tenor-Viol is an excellent inward Part, and much used in Consort, especially in Fantasies and Ayres of 3, 4, 5 and 6 parts. The Tuning of it is the same with the Baß and Treble, for the distance of sound betwixt each string; but being an Inward Part betwixt both, its Tuning is four Notes higher than the Baß, and five Notes lower than the Treble; its first or Treble string is tuned to G sol re ut on the third string of the treble-Viol; its second four Notes lower, which is D la sol re; the third for Notes lower, is A la mi re; the fourth three Notes (or a flat Third) lower, is F fa ut; the fifth four Notes lower than it, is C fa ut; and the sixth four Notes lower than the fifth, is Gam-ut; which is answerable to the Gam-ut on the Baß-Viol.
For the better understanding of these Tunings severally, viz. Treble or Tenor, observe these two Examples of them, according as their six strings are Tuned by the several Distances of Notes in the Gam-ut.
The fifth string on the Treble-Viol is the same with G sol re ut on the third string of the Baß-Viol.
The fifth string of the Tenor-Viol is tuned to C fa ut or fourth string of the Baß-Viol.
For the Names of the Notes, and their Proportions of time, I refer you to the fourth and seventh Chapters in the first Book.
There are three sorts
of Baß-Viols, as there are three manners of ways in playing.
First, a Baß-Viol for Consort must be one of the largest size, and the
Strings proportionable.
Secondly, a Baß-Viol for Divisions must be of a less size, and the Strings
according.
Thirdly, a Baß-Viol to play Lyra-way, that is by Tableture, must be
somewhat less than the two former, and strung proportionably.
2. In the choice of your Viol Bow, let it be proportioned to the Viol you use, and let the Hair be laid stiff, and the Bow not too heavy, nor too long.
3. In holding your Viol observe this Rule: Place it gently between your Knees, resting the lower end thereof upon the Calves of your Legs, and let your Feet rest flat on the Ground, your Toes turned a little outward, and let the top of your Viol lean towards your left shoulder.
4. In the holding of your Bow, observe this Rule: Hold the Bow betwixt the ends of your Thumb and your Forefinger, and Inch below the Nut, the Thumb and first Finger resting on the Wood, the ends of your second and third Fingers staid upon the Hair, by which you may poise and keep up your Bow. Your bow being thus fix’d, you must draw it over one string, and then another, in a right angle, about two or three Inches above the Bridge, making each several string yield a clear sound.
5. In the posture of your left hand observe this Rule, place your Thumb on the back of the Neck, and opposite to your Forefinger, so that when your Fingers are to rest on the several Stops or Frets, your hand may have liberty to move up and down, as occasion shall require; and in the stopping observe, that when you set any finger down, let it not be just upon the Fret, but close to it, bearing it hard down, with the end of your finger, and let it rest there, playing the following Notes with your other fingers, until occasion require the moving it; and be sure not to lift your fingers too high, but keep them in an even distance to the Frets, that so they may pass more readily from Fret to Fret.
Also in the Rule of true Fingering, where you skip a Fret, there leave a finger; and when you have any Notes which are high Notes, that reach lower than the Frets, there the highest Note is always stopt either with the third or fourth finger; if with the third, then the first and second fingers are ready to stop the two next Notes either ascending or descending from it: But if the highest Note be stopt with the fourth finger, then the Note under it is stopt either with the third or second finger, according as it is either Flat or Sharp; if Sharp, the third; if Flat, the second. But whether the highest Note be stopt with the third or fourth finger, the third below it must be stopt with the first finger, which is ever as a guide to the two Notes above it. Lastly, when two Notes which follow one another are stopt with the same finger removed, it is to prepare the other fingers to the aforementioned posture, or to remove them to some other place. This order of Fingering directs the whole Fingerboard (in stopping three Notes which follow upon any one string)- with this proviso, where stops are wide, the fourth or little finger is of more use, than lower down, where the stops fall more close.
6. In the moving your Bow observe this Rule, when you see an even number of Quavers or Semiquavers, as 2, 4, 6, or 8, tyed together, you must begin with your Bow forward, though the Bow be drawn forward the Note before; but if the number be odd, as 3, 5, or 7, (which is by reason of a Prick Note or an odd Quaver Rest) then the first Note must be plaid with the bow drawn backward.
Lastly, in the practice of any Lesson, play it slow at first, and by often practice it will bring your hand to a more swift motion.
And now, your Viol Being Tuned according to the foregoing Directions, I have here following set down a few Lessons for to begin with, and over the Notes I have set figures, to direct with what fingers to stop them; 1, 2, 3, 4, is set for first, second, third, and fourth fingers; those which have no figures over them, are the string open.
For the usual Graces, the Shake is the principal; of which there are two, the close shake and the open shake; the close shake is when you stop with your first Finger on the first Fret, and shake with your second Finger as close to it as you can; the open shake is when you stop with your first Finger on the first Fret, and shake with our third Finger on the third Fret; this observe in all stops whatsoever. For other Graces, as Double Relishes, Bcak-falls, &c. I refer you to the Table of the several Graces in my Directions for the Treble-Violin, which are proper also the Baß-Viol.