The Compleat Cittern
Doc Rossi, The Compleat Cittern or Guittar (tutor)
From the foreward:
This book is about an instrument commonly known as the English Guittar or Cetra, a type of 18th- century cittern that was tuned to an open C chord: C E G C E G (low to high). The Portuguese guitar is its nearest modern equivalent, and in fact is a descendant of the Cetra. Many original 18th- century citterns in playable or near playable condition can still be found at reasonable prices, and any good luthier could easily make one. Strung and tuned accordingly, a Portuguese guitar can be used to play all the music in this book.
It is also possible to use this tuning on the modern steel-string, 12-string, or classical guitar (or any other 6-course instrument). As the Cetra is much smaller than the modern guitar, if you are using a steel-string or classical guitar, you should tune it G B D G B D – a standard steel guitar tuning – or F A C F A C, then capo at the third fret or higher; I would recommend the fifth. Larger citterns did in fact exist in the 18th century, tuned to A and G.
All of the music is presented in tablature and modern notation. To accommodate guitarists who don’t read tab, the pieces have also been transcribed down a fourth, so that those originally written in Care also given in G, those in Dm in Am, and so forth, so that guitarists don’t have to rethink the fingerboard.
The Cetra (as I prefer to call it) is a versatile instrument, capable of as many colors as guitars and lutes of any era. It was often used as a melody instrument, and it can handle more complex arrangements as well. Most of the music, apart from the transcriptions, is in the Gallant style, which music historians place between the Baroque and Classical periods. I think of it as a stripped down Baroque style that has not yet succumbed to the Spartan quality of classicism. The tunes are lyrical, elegant and as satisfying to play as to hear. Many are based on popular dance forms like the Jig, Hornpipe and Minuet.
The book is divided into three sections. The first deals with historical information, technique and my approach to it, including authentic exercises as well as my own, plus easier studies from 18th- century sources that are meant to help you develop your technique. Next come 18th-century pieces writ- ten specifically for the Cetra, from intermediate to advanced level, in a variety of keys. The collection concludes with a few duets arranged as solos plus my own arrangements of music for 16th- and 17th- century cittern, gittern, guitar and other instruments, arranged to be played in open C tuning, or open Gfor guitarists. The book is aimed at intermediate to advanced players.