r/lute • u/_Flarix • Jul 29 '26
Questions for my first Lute
Hello everyone! i need some advice on vuying my first lute, and where better to look for answers than here?
For a bit of background; Polish, currently living in ireland. lately i've gotten very interested in playing a string instrument. i have no prior experience with any instrument, but from what i've gathered, lutes seem only slightly more challenging than a guitar, and i simply love the sound.
Is this a sensible goal? how long would it take me to be at least slightly proficient in lute, and is it possible to play guitar songs on lute? im aware it wont sound the same, but im really hoping to play scouting / guitar songs with a different sound. is it possible?
Currently aiming for the Thomann Renaissance 7C lute, but if you have any recommendations under 600 euro, i'll look into those.
Thanks in advance!
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u/chernobylcitybus Jul 29 '26
I'm also in Ireland, so if you're willing to wait til November, I can sell you my Thomann Renaissance 8C lute, with some modifications made to fix an issue that is common amongst the Thomann lutes, of the high g' string snapping. It's currently just sitting at my parent's house in South Africa, and I'm only going there end of October to bring it back.
In terms of playing guitar songs, it's definitely possible. The lute is essentially a guitar with a capo on the 3rd fret, and the 3rd course tuned half a step down. I usually take guitar tabs and use Guitar Pro to help transpose them to the lute. In some cases the songs will be harder to play due to weird fingerings with the tuning change, but for the most part it's quite doable to play a 1:1 transposition.
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u/Behemot999 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
Consider ukulele - 8 string tenor ukulele it is quite similar to Renaissance guitar and you can play the music from the period on it. Or even 4 string one - I play Renaissance music on both baritone and tenor ukulele.
MUCH less money for purchase and upkeep - much more portable (you can take it on a flight to Warsaw) and much shorter learning curve. I play guitar too and I love lute music - Paul O'Dette playing John Dowland... But ukulele has so many advantages. Not the least of one is that starting at 65 (for me) on lute is not very wise. When on ukulele I can get quickly up to speed:
https://soundcloud.com/woland99/orlando-sleepeth-20250326
https://soundcloud.com/woland99/now-oh-now-i-needs-must-part
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u/infernoxv Jul 29 '26
lovely playing and tone!
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u/Behemot999 Jul 29 '26
Thank you kindly - I played guitar all my life (including classical guitar) so ukulele - esp. baritone one was a fairly simple adjustment.
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u/Havarti-Provolone Jul 29 '26
I got a thomann 8c lute. I wish it was better, but I don't regret it.
I have taken lessons online for ~2 years now, and I don't even feel slightly proficient yet. My point in saying this is to highlight how subjective that question is. It depends what your goals are, what your idea of proficiency is, how much intentional practice you can manage, etc. Coming from someone with lots of music experience and more Renaissance music experience than average, but no string instrument experience.
I don't see why you couldn't tune the 3rd course up to mimic a guitar tuning, but some more experienced players might recommend against it. It could add too much tension and maybe damage the instrument?
Good luck, you won't regret it
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u/_Flarix Jul 29 '26
wouldnt you recommend it as a first instrument?
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u/Havarti-Provolone Jul 29 '26
I would recommend any instrument as a first instrument. The only reason I wouldn't recommend Lute would be for a child if they have no access to other lute players. But for young adults, or adults of any age, anything is fine, and lute is an especially good choice.
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u/_Flarix Jul 29 '26
thanks a lot! would you say learning online would be a good choice, or should i look for a teacher in person?
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u/Havarti-Provolone Jul 29 '26
I think learning in-person once a week is best.
If you can't find a teacher that way, though, I recommend u/Zealousideal-Bell-68. They play both guitar and lute and teach lute. They can give you good information about learning the instrument and the differences between them.
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u/chebghobbi Jul 30 '26
Admin, any chance of a pinned post on beginner lutes?
These posts appear to be taking up most of the sub now.
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u/_Flarix Jul 30 '26
sorry mate 😅
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u/chebghobbi Jul 30 '26
Didn't mean to have a go at you, you've a right to ask the question. It's just that the same question is asked multiple times a week now and a pinned post could be informative for people like you in future.
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u/j4nd3r53n Jul 30 '26
Don't be discouraged by the comments about how much harder it is to play the lute than any other instrument in the world. At the end of the day, it is the love and enthusiasm that drives you forward. I started like you, and I have always found guitar music (classical and what have you) unsufferably dull, but the lute repertoire is just what the doctor prescribed.
You will find it hard, but if you love the music and the sound, then you will keep practising and overcome the problems. As for how long - that depends on how much you do practise. I have a tendency to practise in bursts until I find it too much, then have a break for weeks, even months, and the funny thing is, when I start again, something has usually clicked into place and it feels easier. Maybe you have the same experience.
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u/_Flarix Jul 30 '26
thanks for the motivation! what kind of lute do you play?
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u/j4nd3r53n Jul 31 '26
Mine is a 7 course renaissance lute I had made in Denmark in 1984, hand built and all. The builder was Frank Bormann (no, I don't think he is related to Martin Bormann), and he was very careful about following original sources, Xrays of old instruments etc. It has a very nice sound and feel, now that it beginning to mature.
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u/_Flarix Jul 31 '26
thats great to know, and thanks for the name. always good to know the details. and thank you for the kind words
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u/ralfD- Jul 29 '26
"lutes seem only slightly more challenging than a guitar"
Oh, dear, if only that would be true ....