Musica
Getutscht,
Sebastian Virdung, 1511.
Musica Getutscht is the earliest printed treatise on musical instruments in the West. Written by a priest and chapel singer named Sebastian Virdung, it provides rudimentary instruction on playing three instruments: the clavicord, the lute, and the recorder. Virdung described the various instruments of his time period, offering advice for players along with his own opinions.
“Stringed instruments of the fourth kind have no frets, and they have only one or two courses – or three at the most – and no more. Therefore, they are not suited to the formulation of rules and the writing out of intabulations from which to learn them. For with these instruments, learning has to come about much more from a great deal of practice and from the understanding of song than it does by means of rules that are written out. Therefore I shall write the very least about these instruments; because in addition to this pedagological difficulty, I consider and deem as unprofitable instruments those such as the rebecs and the trumpet marine.”