More than twenty years ago James Tyler wrote a modest introduction to the history, repertory, and playing techniques of the four- and five-course guitar. Entitled The Early Guitar: A History and Handbook (OUP 1980), this work proved valuable and enlightening not only to performers and scholars of Renaissance and Baroque guitar and lute music but also to classical guitarists. This new book, written in collaboration with Paul Sparks (their previous book for OUP, The Early Mandolin, appeared in 198...

•  Dedication
•  Preface
•  List of Illustrations
•  List of Tables
•  List of Musical Examples
•  List of Abbreviations
•  Acknowledgements
•  Part I: The Guitar in the Sixteenth Century, James Tyler
•  1.:Spain: La Guitarra de quatro ordenes
•  2.:France: The Creation of the Repertory
•  3.:England: '... yused of gentilmen, and of the best sort ...'
•  4.:Italy: La Chitarra da sette corde
•  5.:Italy: The Role of the ...