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The Belchior Dias 1581 guitar / vihuela
First of all, I would like to add a number of corrections to the existing drawing of the Belchior Dias 1581 guitar from the collection of the Royal College of Music (London), in circulation since 1976, as well as mention some of the features which are not shown on it but are nevertheless important for understanding the constructional aspects of this important historical instrument. I hope this will be for the benefit of all who have acquired the drawing as well as those who want to reconstruct an accurate replica of the Belchior Dias instrument.
1).Triple w/b/w purflings in the “valleys” of the three ribs of the back and in the sides of the instrument are not set half-depth, as is indicated on the drawing, but are in the full thickness of the ribs and sides (see image 1). So, in fact, they are actually spacers rather than purflings, as is indeed common with spacers in the sides of surviving early guitars from the early 17th – mid 18th centuries.
2). From the inscription on the drawing one gets the impression that the small blocks of wood glued to the sides of the instrument and located underneath the ends of the bars are positioned in alignment with the currently existing bars. The number of these blocks, however, is not specified and their positioning on the side view of the instrument is not shown.
As it appears, they are not in any way related to the present unoriginal soundboard and its barring but are remains (the total number of blocks is four) from original bar end supports and therefore indicate the positioning of bars on the original soundboard. The upper parts of the blocks, on which the ends of original bars were resting, were subsequently cut down when the new “continuous” type of lining was added (most obviously during the last conversion of the instrument). The blocks are positioned not in line with the presently existing bars (the two bars, above and below sound hole). The lower pair is approximately at 15 mm higher, towards the neck of the instrument, while the upper one is more or less in line with the other bar. Therefore, the original position of the sound hole may also be a few millimeters higher up than on the present soundboard. Unfortunately we cannot say if these blocks, in their upper part, were “tuning fork” shaped to accept the ends of the bars or simply had flat ends (like those in an anonymous vihuela E. 0748 in the collection of the Cite de la Musique, Paris).
3). A small conical hole (not shown on the drawing) near the top edge and at the center line of the peg head was clearly provided to accommodate a strap button. It goes through the whole thickness of the peg head (see images 2 and 3). The use of a strap would almost certainly make the holding of the instrument more comfortable in order to counter-balance its rather heavy solid ebony neck and peg head.
4). A wear mark area in the lower part of the fingerboard (not shown on the drawing), at the border with the lower replaced part of it, (see image 4) shows that there is a light-coloured soft(?) wood underneath the top ornamented layer; in other words, pointing out to the sliced, two-layer construction of the original fingerboard(1).
This is indeed a very rational, both in constructional and practical terms, way of fingerboard construction: cutting and hollowing out grooves for the ornament is easier in 1.0 – 1.5mm veneer and, if the fingerboard needs to be taken off, only the bottom soft wood layer becomes damaged and can be easily replaced.
Looking at the side of the fingerboard reveals why the lower part of it was replaced: the fingerboard tapers quite considerably from the nut end to the join with the soundboard extension onto the neck – the result of being scraped in order to achieve an appropriate clearance of strings above it during the last and / or previous conversion(s). This scraping eventually led to subsequent wear of the upper ornamental layer of the fingerboard which consists of four beams of rope-like patterns of w/b/w purfling.
As we can see on the existing photographs of an anonymous c. 1590 guitar ascribed to the work of Belchior Dias or the circle of makers closely associated with his workshop (2) the rather shallow triple w/b/w purfling bordering the fingerboard ornament is also present in the sides (points) of the only remaining part of the original soundboard (its two-fret length extension onto the neck) (see image 5). Therefore, it is very likely that this purfling, together with the other wider w/b/w/b strips, formed a part of the original soundboard “half-edge” inlay along its entire perimeter (3).
Bearing in mind the resemblance of the ornamental patterns on the fingerboards of the two instruments, there is a possibility that a similar triple-strip purfling integrated into the borders of the fingerboard of the Belchior Dias 1581 instrument was also present in its original soundboard edging.
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One of the most intriguing features of this beautifully made instrument is the presence of 11 peg holes in its peg head. One of the holes is positioned just behind the nut and along the centre line of the peg head (see images 6 and 7). Although it might have been added to the already existing 10 holes at a later stage of the instrument’s life, the peg head itself seems to have designed with the view to allow an extra space for the housing of this additional peg: the distance between the back of the nut and the first two pegs on both the left and right sides of it is even slightly more (28 mm) than the average amount for a “full size” guitar (c. 25 mm). One of the most striking comparisons here is with the peg head layout of the above mentioned c.1590 guitar, in which case this distance amounts to only 19mm (4).From the face side of the peg head the hole appears with what looks like worn degraded edges, encompassing part of the triple ornamental purfling and causing its partial damage. At present all the peg holes are reamed to accept rather large-sized pegs, either from the time of the instrument’s conversion into a 5-course guitar in the late 18th century or even later. This procedure of re-reaming could well be one of the likely causes of the breakage of small parts of the veneer on the face side of the peg head as well as neighboring parts of the purfling (see for example a similar sort breakage shown with a dotted arrow, image 6). The original diameter of the pegs would have been at least c. 1.0 to 1.5 mm smaller than those that are presently in place. A red button on image 6 gives the idea of a possible original peg diameter in the cross section coinciding with the face surface of the peg head.
The inlay design on the peg head, however, gives no “provision” for this additional peg and, as we can see in both instruments, the peg holes are all encircled in the rope-like purfling ornament which is uniquely represented on the peg heads of both instruments. Whether the lack of this “provision” is conclusive enough evidence to say that the 11th peg was added at a later stage (as a mean of conversion from 5 to 6 courses) still remains the question to answer.
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- An interesting example of early-mid 17th century Italian 5-course guitar have recently been seen on one of the musical instrument auctions in France. This instrument seems to have been originally designed with just nine peg holes in its peg head, i.e. with 1x1 + 4x2 arrangement of strings in courses (see image 8).
- A very similar arrangement of pegs can be seen in a remarkably detailed painting by Jean Daret "Portrait de l'Artiste en Guitariste" (Palais de Malte, Aix-en-Provence) clearly showing one string of the third course attached to the central peg behind the nut (see image 10).
- In his Soavi Concenti di sonate musicali, opera quarta, 1659 J. B. Granata depicts himself with 5-course (9-string) guitar on which one of the pegs is positioned in the upper part of the peg head. Note also that in its upper part the peg head is shaped accordingly to accept this central peg (see image 11).
- One of the guitars which is on display in the Victoria and Albert museum London(5) has 11 peg holes in its peg head. Here again, as in case with the Belchior Dias 1581 instrument, there is a noticeable lengthening of the peg head in the area above the nut, so as to allow for the central peg to be positioned at the same distance (as that in-between the rest of the pegs) from the two pegs above (see image 9). I will give more in-depth analysis of this important instrument (which may well be another surviving late 16th – early 17th century vihuela!) on these pages in the near future.
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Nevertheless, in its present state, depending on whether 10 or 11 pegs are used, the following configurations are possible:
1. 6-course (5x2 + 1x1) vihuela or guitar(6).
2. 5-course (5x2) guitar or vihuela.
3. 5-course (1x3 + 4x2 or 2x3 + 2x2 + 1x1) guitar, i. e. with one or two lower pitched courses triple-strung.Neither of the 5-course configurations presents any apparent problems with string spacing, at least from the point of view of modern approach to the reconstruction of early guitars and vihuelas, when most of modern players seem to have been accustomed to a rather wider spacing, both on nut and bridge, than those found on original instruments. The adaptation of the specifically lute-related “thumb-under” technique to the vihuela by some players is also one of the contributing factors here.
One of the surviving guitars belonging to the Iberian school of makers and dated by c. 1740 is in the collection of the University of Edinburgh (7). It is most probably one of the earliest surviving examples of Portuguese viola campaniça. This little instrument is preserved in virtually complete original condition and has only a slightly shorter string length (55.2 cm) than the supposedly original string length of the Dias (55.8cm) as well as smaller size of body (8). What is also important is that both the nut and bridge remained unaltered and this may shed some light on how the set up of the strings on this type of instrument was finalized as well as on the exact value of the string spacing on the nut and bridge. The twelve strings are grouped in 5 courses: 2x3 + 3x2, with the two lower pitched courses arranged in triples. The grooves for the outer strings on the nut are set fairly close to the edges of the fingerboard (c.1.0mm) and this distance would remain constant for the whole stretch of the fingerboard with the two outer strings attached into the corresponding slots of the bridge.
(at nut end / at join with body)
(at nut / at bridge)
The square cut-out slots in the bridge are of the following widths (from 1st to 5th course): 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5mm which would allow placement of individual strings in courses with the following distances apart: just under 3mm in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd courses, c.1.5mm in the 4th and c.1.7mm in the 5th.
With a similar approach in mind to the set up of the Belchior Dias instrument as a 6-course vihuela we will get the following figures:
(at nut end / at join with body)
(at nut / at bridge)
Again this rather tight spacing of courses both on the nut and bridge may not agree with what most players are accustomed to today. It may, however, prove to be highly practical and does agree rather well with the conclusions reached by Antonio Corona-Alcalde in relation to the presence of some “difficult” cords in the surviving vihuela music which require stretching the left hand fingers over three or four frets with simultaneous fingering of two or three adjacent courses on the same fret:
“Considering that these chords present extensions as well, the only way to play them is with an instrument with a short string length and closely-spaced courses. In this context, the hint Bermudo offers about parallel strings acquires relevance since with such a disposition the vihuela could meet the requirements that the music itself suggests.” (9)
The evidence that the Belchior Dias instrument provides is just an additional proof to these words and can possibly serve as further guidance for modern players of the vihuela to move on further to explore its most technically demanding repertoire.
It may also be useful to draw another line of comparison here, with the spacing of courses on bridges of surviving 6-course mid -18th century Italian mandolinos. The outer string spacing on them, in some cases, reveals even smaller figures 49.5 - 51 mm, although occasionally they reach as much as 60 - 62 mm. For the comparatively smaller string length (c. 31cm on average), this variation is quite considerable and may reflect the character of the music played (10). The distance between strings in courses at the bridge is, as a rule, about 2 mm.
Some of the larger members of the lute family instruments which have survived with their original (or period) bridges still intact and which have been most probably played with thumb-over technique also reveal rather tight spacing of courses (i.e. 11 – 11.5mm), despite, as is in case with the theorbo by V. Venere (see below), a considerably longer string length.
14-course archlute by M. Sellas, Venice 1639, string length 56.5 / 83cm, Witten collection
Distance between the outer strings of the 1st and 6th double courses 58mm (56mm imagining that the first string is single and positioned in the middle of the two stings of the 1st course).14-course theorbo by V. Venere, Padua 1611, string length 75.9 / 120.5cm, Vienna KHM C47
Distance between the outer strings of the 1st and 6th double courses 58mm (56mm imagining that the first string is single and positioned in the middle of the two stings of the 1st course).13-course lute by S. Schelle, Nurnberg 1726, string length 65.2 / 71.5cm, Jale University Nr. 260
Distance between the outer strings of the 2nd (single) and 7th courses 58mm.
Postscript
As the evidence given above suggests, the Belchior Dias 1581 instrument was most probably made with 6 courses of strings and therefore should be more appropriately named a vihuela rather than a guitar. Repeated references to this instrument, over the last 40 years, as a guitar, chitarriglia, the earliest surviving guitar etc in numerous articles, books and on the drawing, which was released by the Royal College of Music in 1976, have turned the attention away from one of the most important features of its construction – the peg head with 11 peg holes, making it possible to string it as a 6-course instrument (11).
Welcoming signs, however, are beginning to emerge and in one of the latest publications dedicated to the study of the vihuela (12) there are a couple of passing references to the Belchior Dias 1581 instrument linking it to the vihuela.
Unless there is some other reasonable explanation for the nature and use of the centrally positioned peg hole we just have to admit another vihuela - long waiting for such an admission! – to the list of the existing vihuelas. In fact, it is a perfect instrument as regards its size and set-up parameters (string spacing on the nut and bridge) to play all the demanding pieces of the surviving vihuela repertoire!
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(1) I came across a similarly constructed fingerboard on one of the mid-17th century guitars attributed to the Sellas workshop, in which case the floral Venetian style marquetry design of ebony and ivory top layer was backed by an underlying slice of pine or spruce.
(2) This instrument which formerly belonged to professor Robert Spencer, is now in possession of Frank Koonce, USA
(3) In its current restored state only wider strips are included in the soundboard edging.
(4) Although the original neck of this guitar was shortened during one of the later conversions (into what appears to be as a guitarre battente but with only a slight degree of bending introduced in the lower part of the soundboard), it is unlikely that the peg head itself was shortened in the process.
(5) This instrument is listed as Italian mid-17th century guitar, with a possible attribution to Matteo Sellas workshop. This attribution is based entirely on the similarity of the floral patterns of its neck veneer with another guitar from the same collection. For more information see p. 57 of Anthony Baines, Catalogue of Musical Instruments, Volume 2, Victoria and Albert museum London, 1968
(6) The conversion to 6 courses with the use of guitar-like tuning could also have taken place in the late 17th – early 18th century within Portuguese / Spanish musical traditions.
(7) Museum inventory No 1905 841
(8) I presume that the original position of the bridge on the Dias instrument was c. 5mm lower than with its present unoriginal bridge and soundboard.
(9) The Viola da Mano and the Vihuela, Evidence and Suggestions about their Construction by Antonio Corona-Alcalde, The Lute, 1984, p.24
(10) Most of the surviving 18th century music for the mandolino mainly consists of single-line passages, with only occasional two or three note chords.
(11) The credit, however, has to be given to Jose Romanillos who in one of his articles made repeated references to the Belchior Dias instrument as a possible vihuela: “The surviving instrument by the Portuguese Belchior Dias is a typical example of the type of vihuela that was being made in Madrid by the members of the craft guild”. (see J. Romanillos, The Vihuela in Spain and the Instrument in the Jacquemart-Ander Museum, Classical Guitar, March 1987, p.41)
(12) Aux origines de la guitare: la vihuela de mano, Musée de la musique, Cité de la musique, Paris 2004
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© 2004 Alexander Batov
I do apologize for the quality of the pictures as they were taken through glass in low level lighting.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7
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Image 8 (note that pegs and two rectangular medallions on the face side of the peg head are not original)
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Image 9
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Image 10
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Image 11