Roland Hutchinson and the baryton

[Trcls]

the plucked strings are at the back

[SarniaLute]

There is so much interesting 17th Century music (in manuscript sources) for baryton. Why do we only ever hear the later repertoire, like Haydn? I almost feel like you brave soldiers who have these instruments have a duty to get a broader spectrum of repertoire in the public ear.

[bebopj]

Beautiful sounding instrument! Could you answer a few questions?

1. Is the bowed side fully chromatic?

2. Can you also pluck the bowed side?

3. Besides Haydn, who else wrote for the baryton?

[duhhh86]

i wonder why this instrument is obsolete. i think it's complete in itself. even the piano isn't such a complete instrument - though it can play in many voices, all the voices have the same tone and character. the baryton is different - it has the lyrical tone of a string instrument, and can at the same time provide its own accompaniment of a different character.

[ulec2010]

Great Instrument, Great Performance. As some people are looking for such an Instrument to buy, I can make you an offer. My father was a baryton Player too and I would like to sell his Instruments, barytones and viola da gambas. Just write me if interested.

[Cavin8r]

That's awesome, how much would these go for? I really love the fact you can pluck AND bow at the same time. Have you ever played a 20-24 string Baryton?

[Lennoxed]

Wow, that's really interesting! I'm just studying the classical composers in my spare time, and that's awesome that at least some people get how to play what some books describe as an 'extinct' instrument!

[ranileto]

@Lennoxed Yeah I'm taking a music class and just found this video after searching because I was reading of Haydn and it talked about the baryton being a "complicated string instrument now obsolete."

[JayArpeggios]

where do you buy one of these?

[animeviolalord]

I don't know if it's just me, but it sounds like it resonates more than the bass viol, am I right?

[eriqkk]

Right, because the sympathetic strings vibrate.

[animeviolalord]

So it's like the viola d'amore? Sweet! One question, though...how do you tell if the sympathetic strings are in tune if you don't actually play on them?

[assa123assa123]

what's the problem to do it? you can feel sympathetic vibration touching a string with your finger or just listening for a response after the bow stops. periodic checks would be required too, of course

[akinderreality]

@animeviolalord you would listen for the echo, same for most Indian instruments where sympathetic strings aren't played. Also, if they are seriously out of tune it will make the god-awful sounds when certain notes are played.

[ChickenVendetta]

@eriqkk Sympathetic? Is that the brand or type of string? Or did you mean synthetic? as in not natural

[deathorca]

yea look up the term Sympathetic Resonance, the first set of strings will resonate/vibrate at a certain frequency which can cause the second set to do the same, since they will sound at the same frequency.

[Walvis2007]

So cool.

[thejeffre]

Reminds me of my double necked acoustic guitar interestingly enough. Sympathetic resonances really kickass, and the bow/pluck/pizzicato possibilities on this instrument could really be used to create some mindbending textures

[captainmorgan6666]

wow

[tacetviola]

What a beautiful instrument.

[Cayo255]

i read that that instrument almost disapeared because of his extreme dificult to be played

[MerlinTheDraconic]

Wow. I'm a violinist who plays gamba on occasion, but I've never heard of this. It blows my mind how difficult it must be, and now I really want to play one.

[BlanFan2O]

yeah it looks tough I'll stick with viola

regular 4 string viola

[forestluce]

Great!! First time thatI knew baryton was on TV program . I was very interested in the baryton which has unique form creating original sounds .

Moreover , on your video, I could understad how play baryton . Your explanation by words and sound's of baryton were very eloequence ! Thank you very much . from Japan

[eriqkk]

I'm glad you enjoyed hearing Roland Hutchinson play the baryton!

[forestluce]

Thank you for quick response to my message!I'm looking forward to hear the music by baryton of yours . Please come to Japan and play the baryton !

One of classical music fan in Japan

[patrickhufschmid]

this is facinating... i'm building a 9 string guitar at the moment and I'm constantly inspired by those instruments... you can imagine at that time how difficult it was for a luthier to build such a gorgeous instrument...

[hammerguy1511]

Roland make another video, this is one of the most beautiful things in the world.

[hammerguy1511]

Where Can I get an instrument like this? Are there any recordings availble for solo Baryton, I really want to hear the difference in tonal quality between the Viola da Gamaba and the Baryton.

[francello75]

Hi, U maybe already know about that, but Haydn wrote something like 127 trios for baryton,viola and basso(cello)and U can easily find them on CD or download them, and he also wrote quite a few duets for barytons, but I have no idea if someone has ever wrote anything for solo baryton ...probably yes...

[eriqkk]

You can have one made for you by the British-American luthier, John Pringle. He's an excellent instrument maker, and one of the best-known in the viol world.

[violinnut1]

Hi! I was wondering if you knew of any barytons or baryton variations that were smaller than this one and held simalarily to the modern guitar. I saw an instrument while I was in Tallin, Estonia and thought it was really interesting. Thanks!

[eriqkk]

The viol and the guitar share the same parents, as they evolved from the "vihuela" family, instruments made by the Islamic luthiers on the Iberian Peninsula during the latter half of Moorish dominance. These instruments and their variations spread northward throughout Europe, so it stands to reason you would see something similar in another country.

[Ga7atTown]

1st time I see this one....a hybrid between some sort of banjo and viola de gamba!!! and I don't know why but I have this feeling that playing a viol de gamba is easier than a cello... (having frets just like a guitar)LOL

[eriqkk]

Interesting observation. Perhaps some technical matters might be considered easier on the viol, but the instrument's wide repertoire actually requires a broader range of chording and double-stopping than perhaps the majority of the cello repertoire.

[firebreathone]

Perhaps a silly question but which one is older: the viola da gamba or the baryton?

[eriqkk]

The baryton is an "elaboration" of a viol, the viol being the older, original instrument. Fascinating thing, though, no?

[firebreathone]

Absolutely, so it would be right to suggest that the viol(a da gamba) is in fact the original one. Is it not true though that the Viola da gamba is used more often than the viol by baroque orchestras using period instruments (such as ton koopman's or John Elliot gardiner''s)

Could you be so kind to tell me about a few well know viol pieces? Thanks for your fantastic video mate and keep up the good work!

[eriqkk]

Actually, it's fairly easy to find many well-known viol pieces right here on youtube. Try, for example, the videos showing Christoph Coin playing Bach's "Es ist vollbracht," Joanna Blendulf playing parts of Bach viola da gamba sonatas, or Ernst Stolz playing Diego Ortiz. Lots of viol fans here.

[HARMONICO101]

The viola da gamba is simply a fancy name for the bass viol.

[eriqkk]

Or rather, the Italian name for the Spanish "vihuela de arco." What an interesting history this instrument has!

[HARMONICO101]

Stupid question: is it vy-oll or vee-ol?

[eriqkk]

Decent question.

It's vy-oll.

[wcbroccoli]

"Viol" is the English term for "viola", so it's pronounced with English vowel values, like the English words "vial" and "vile".

On the continent, they use continental vowel values. The Italians call it "viola" (vee-'o-la). The French call it "viole" (vee-'ole).

[eriqkk]

Yes, exactly as I said, thank you. By the way, I do hail from there... the Mediterranean.

[violalord1]

are the plucking in the music devided from the playing. If it is can't you just practice both parts seperately and then put them together. Very nice!

[ijdoti]

Well done on your work in keeping this amazing instrument alive! :)

[IHMmusicteacher]

A very well done demonstration, suitable for playing for music students in class. Bravo!

[trimskin]

That's fantastic. I've never heard the baryton before. Your demonstation was great.

[eriqkk]

Oh, thank you, but that's not me. It's Roland Hutchinson doing the demonstration.

[starsopran]

Thank you very much for your video! I haven't been able yet to see and hear a baryton "live", but now I have an impression of the instrument. Really not easy to play... Regards!

[Apalexpe]

Oye que interesante saber de tu instrumento, yo soy violista pero me gusta mucho el hecho de conocer los diferentes tipos de cuerdas que hay ya q es un mundo maravilloso, gracias...

[mercoid]

That was wonderful. So glad I found this. Thanks

[forlane61]

Thank you for putting up this video! I got a baryton about 10 days ago - I know now what to practice on it - except Haydn-Divertimentos! Not easy putting bowing and plucking together...

Too difficult yet to put a nice vibrato in while plucking!

[ctlg2005]

it's sounds flat when picked

[CelloFiend]

No vibrato?

[eriqkk]

Nope. Other types of viol music (French, particularly Marais) use a special type of vibrato that involves two fingers, while some players use a more modern, cello-type vibrato on the viol. (See the clip of Christoph Coin playing Bach; it's amazingly beautiful.)

[cpincomb]

I play the Viola da gamba and would love to explore this instrument.  Thank you so much for sharing this. It is lovely!

[eriqkk]

I think all the viols are fascinating. I'm also glad I looked at your page. Those Eddie Peabody clips are wonderful!

[Polluxgeminae]

Cool! I hadn't seen anybody playing the baryton before...

[eriqkk]

¡Hola, chileno! ¿Eres músico también? Si es así, entonces ¿qué especialidad tienes? ¿Instrumentos de cuerda? Saludos.

[Polluxgeminae]

Nope, I play the baroque flute (traverso barroco), but in our group 'The Broken Consort', this lady... Frau Renate Mattich plays the soprano, alto and bass viols. She's got another instrument (fidula=fiddle?) similar to the viol, but used in the mediaeval times.

[FooPerson]

Fugly guy. Awesome instrument.

[eriqkk]

Tuning, from the lower string, is D-G-C-E-A-D

[ellliott]

is it C G D A E?