Theorbo

What it means

The theorbo is a large lute with two pegboxes: alongside the stopped strings over the fingerboard, an extended neck carries additional long bass strings that are not stopped but only plucked open. As a result, its tonal range reaches far downward, and the basses, because of their length, sound powerful and ring on for a long time. A peculiarity of many theorbos is the re-tuning of the topmost strings down an octave, because the long string length does not allow a high pitch there; this changes the fingerings and the voice leading in the upper range.

Musical use

In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries the theorbo belonged to the core stock of continuo instruments, in opera as much as in sacred music and chamber music. Its advantage lies in the fact that a single player can supply carrying basses and chords above them without weighing down the sound or covering singers; it combines clarity with restraint. Alongside this there is a repertoire of its own for solo playing. The theorbo differs from the archlute in the broader sense through construction and tuning, though the historical designations were used inconsistently.

Performance practice

Set your sitting posture and strap so that the long neck lies securely and the right hand works relaxed over the sound hole. The bass strings are plucked with the thumb; plan which string is allowed to ring and which must be damped, or a harmonic haze results. In continuo playing, practise the bass line alone first and add the chords afterward. Expect frequent retuning, because long gut strings react sensitively to temperature and humidity. Keep the volume deliberately low; the effect arises through clarity, not through force.

Bear in mind that the re-tuned topmost strings change the voice leading: melodies that ascend on the lute fall here into the low register, and chord voicings must be arranged accordingly. Whoever comes from lute playing should practise this peculiarity deliberately. In ensemble it must be clarified which instrument leads the bass, so that theorbo and cello do not work against each other. Keep the chords lean and use them sparingly, because the long ring of the basses otherwise thickens the texture. Allow time for tuning.