298 AN EXTRACT OF A LETTER 



logy for this was, that he could eafily get thofe notes by 

 preffing the ft ring a little hard upon the frets f * and a jj, 

 which is very true from the height of the frets ; but he 

 aliened that this was no defett in his particular inftru- 

 ment, but that all Beens were made fo. The wires TU 

 are feldom ufed, except open. 



.The Been is held over the left moulder, the upper 

 gourd refting on that moulder, and the lower one on 

 the right knee. 



The frets are flopped with the left-hand ; the firft 

 and fecond fingers are principally ufed. The little fin- 

 der of the hand is fometimes ufed to ftrike the note V. 

 The third finger is feldom ufed. the hand fhifting up and 

 down the finger-board with great rapidity. The fingers 

 of the right hand are ufed to ftrike the firings of this 

 hand ; the third finger is never ufed. The two firft 

 fingers ftrike the wires on the finger-board, and the little 

 finger ftrikes the two wires. The two firft fingers of 

 this hand are defended by a piece of wire put on the 

 tops of them in the manner of a thimble : when the 

 performer plays ftrong, this caufes a very jarring dif- 

 agrceable found ; whereas, when he plays foftly, the 

 tone of the inftrument is remarkably pleafing. 



The flyle of mufic on this inftrument is in general 

 that of great execution. I could hardly ever difcover 

 any regular air or fubjecr. The mufick feems to con- 

 fift of a number of detached paffages, fome very regu- 

 lar in their afcent and defcent; and thofe that are play- 

 ed foftly, are moft of them both uncommon and pleaf- 

 ing. 



The open wires are flruck, from time to time, in a 



manner 



