Robinson: A toy (f. I2)

The  fourth and last toy (and my favourite)

Thomas Robinson (c 1560 – c 1610) was a lutenist who published a tutor for lute (The Schoole of Musicke) in 1603. This piece is the twelfth of his works that I have transcribed for low-G ukulele, and will be posting over the next few weeks.

A charming, tuneful little piece with three themes each repeated in variation. I need say no more.

You can view and download it for free here.

Happy plucking!

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SOURCE: Thomas Robinson, 1603, The Schoole of Musicke (f. 33? or I2). 

Facsimile at: https://ks4.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9a/IMSLP247275-PMLP401021-Thomas_Robinson_School.pdf

Robinson: A toy (f. I1v)

 A third toy from the toy box

Thomas Robinson (c 1560 – c 1610) was a lutenist who published a tutor for lute (The Schoole of Musicke) in 1603. This piece is the eleventh of his works that I have transcribed for low-G ukulele, and will be posting over the next few weeks.

A strange, haunting, wistful solo which never seems to resolve. It sonsists of an 8-bar strain, repeated, followed by three variations of increasing elaboration and rhythmic invention. 

I have set the piece in 3/4 time, but some passages seem to fit more happily in 6/8 time. Rather than insert frequent changes in time signature, I have beamed the notes, with some difficulty, according to what feels more comfortable under the fingers and to the ears.

You can view and download the pdf file here.

Happy plucking!

______________________________

SOURCE: Thomas Robinson, 1603, The Schoole of Musicke (f. 32? or I1v). 

Facsimile at: https://ks4.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9a/IMSLP247275-PMLP401021-Thomas_Robinson_School.pdf

Robinson: A toy (f. H1v)

 A second toy from the toy box 

Thomas Robinson (c 1560 – c 1610) was a lutenist who published a tutor for lute (The Schoole of Musicke) in 1603. This piece is the tenth of his works that I have transcribed for low-G ukulele, and will be posting over the next few weeks.

A sweet little toy, but it does get difficult in the variations.

There are four strains (A – D) played in order with internal repeats thus: A A B C D B C D. Then the whole is repeated in variation, heavily syncopated – a good exercise in counting!

You can view and download the pdf version for free here.

SOURCE: Thomas Robinson, 1603, The Schoole of Musicke (p. 30? or f. H1v). 

Facsimile at: https://ks4.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9a/IMSLP247275-PMLP401021-Thomas_Robinson_School.pdf. 

Robinson: A toy (f. I2v)

 One of Robinson's "toys", to lighten the mood  

Thomas Robinson (c 1560 – c 1610) was a lutenist who published a tutor for lute (The Schoole of Musicke) in 1603. This piece is the ninth of his works that I have transcribed for low-G ukulele, and will be posting over the next few weeks.

"Toys", or "toyes" were, in Robinson's time, relatively short and lighthearted compositions, often based on a dance form. I will be posting four of them over the coming days. Since Robinson didn't give them specific names, I have to refer to them by page number – or rather (since there seems to be some confusion over pagination) by the printer's marks, identifying the folio for the bookbinder.

Here we have a charming little piece, with syncopation and counterpoint. There are two strains, of 4 and 7(!) bars. I particularly like the harmonic surprise of the II-chord in bar 9.

My original transcription, which preserves the lute fingering as much as possible, is set in the key of E (i.e. D in the lute version), which is not the most accessible on the uke. I have therefore added a version in F, which falls more easily under the fingers. 

Because the end of each strain in the original ends on a falling scale, using lower strings not available on the uke, I have had to adjust the first voice in the last few bars.

You can view and download it for free here.

Happy plonking!

______________________________

SOURCE: Thomas Robinson, 1603, The Schoole of Musicke (f. 36/2? or I2v/2). 

Facsimile at: https://ks4.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9a/IMSLP247275-PMLP401021-Thomas_Robinson_School.pdf

Robinson: A galliard (f. G1v)

Thomas Robinson (c 1560 – c 1610) was a lutenist who published a tutor for lute (The Schoole of Musicke) in 1603. This piece is the eighth of his works that I have transcribed for low-G ukulele, and will be posting over the next few weeks.

In my previous post of a galliard this morning I complained that it didn't sound much like a galliard. I thought I ought to post another of Robinson's galliards. This one is much more galliard-like.

It's pretty tuneful, and not too challenging, so I hope you enjoy playing it.

There are three strains, and the first has a very clear galliard rhythm. In the second and third strains, some passages seem to fit more into a 6/8 rhythm when played, and have been set accordingly.

You can view and download a pdf of the arrangement here.

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SOURCE: Thomas Robinson, 1603, The Schoole of Musicke .

Facsimile at: https://ks4.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9a/IMSLP247275-PMLP401021-Thomas_Robinson_School.pdf

Robinson: A Galliard (f. D2v)

 Thomas Robinson (c 1560 – c 1610) was a lutenist who published a tutor for lute (The Schoole of Musicke) in 1603. This piece is the seventh of his works that I have transcribed for low-G ukulele, and will be posting over the next few weeks.

The first line of the original. The RH fingerings are shown by dots (pricks) in the tab, the LH fingers by numerals beneath. 

A nice if undistinguished little piece in three strains. 

Although it's in 3/4 time, it doesn't seem much like a galliard to my untutored ears, as I was expecting a rhythm along the lines:

1   2   3 | 1   & 3 |

i.e. with a skip in even-numbered bars.

The form of the cadences in bars 4, 8 & 15 will be familiar to anyone who has played the music of Le Roy and Dowland.

Unusually for Robinson, the right-hand fingerings for the lutenist are indicated to a show unaccented notes, where • = the first finger (i) and ∴ = the ring finger (a). I have added them to the uke arrangement. Apparently, in the Renaissance, the thumb and middle finger were thought of as stronger and reserved for the accented notes; they are not indicated in the original. Something to ponder on.

You can view and download a pdf version of the arrangement for uke here.

Robinson: Merry Melancholie

   A musical oxymoron?  

Thomas Robinson (c 1560 – c 1610) was a lutenist who published a tutor for lute (The Schoole of Musicke) in 1603. This piece is the sixth of his works that I have transcribed for low-G ukulele, and will be posting over the next few weeks.

The first line of the piece in the original

Here we have a fairly simple piece, which is a good chance to test one's accuracy and ability to produce a sweet sound. 

The arrangement was relatively easy, but I have had occasionally to lose the lower voice. (I must explore the feasibility of transposing up to make space for the lower voice.) In particular, I have greatly modified the penultimate bar to accommodate the limited range of the ukulele.

You can view and download a pdf of the arrangement here.

Happy plucking!

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SOURCE: Thomas Robinson, 1603, The Schoole of Musicke (f. G2). 

Facsimile at: https://ks4.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9a/IMSLP247275-PMLP401021-Thomas_Robinson_School.pdf