For this skill challenge, Mishka brings one of his favorite instruments: his unusual ‘lutekulele,’ a ukulele with the body of a lute. He plays ‘Packington’s Pound,’ a piece by the 16th-century English lutenist Francis Cutting. Mishka explains how he started playing the ukulele about four years ago for his role as a bard during LARP events and why he ultimately chose this specific instrument. He also discusses the tuning of Renaissance guitars and his own ukulele, the strings he uses, and the Renaissance clothing with which he completes his bard kit.
Mishka'ss story:
Hello again, friends, Mishka here!
For this skill challenge, I brought out one of my favorite instruments: my ‘lutekulele.’ It is a ukulele built with the body of a lute. The piece I am playing is called ‘Packington’s Pound’ and was written in the 16th century by the English lutenist Francis Cutting. It is not only my personal favorite piece to play on my ukulele, but it was also believed that before the 18th century it was even more popular than the ballad ‘Greensleeves’! If you recognize the melody, that may be because it was reused and adapted into ‘Grey Warden’ for Dragon Age: Inquisition.
I started playing the ukulele about four years ago, when I decided to fully devote myself to my role as a bard during LARP events. Guitars are too large and too expensive, and wind instruments are loud, but a ukulele is simple to play and easy to learn. However, the characteristic hourglass shape of a standard ukulele does not fit re-enactment and LARP events very well. That is why I spent quite a long time searching for this specific model: a lute with a rounded back, but with the fingerboard, tuning machines, and strings of a ukulele.
What most people do not know is that Renaissance guitars were tuned in four courses of two strings each: GG CC EE AA. A ukulele is very conveniently tuned to GCEA, which allows me to play historical musical pieces on it without having to transpose them. On most ukuleles, the G string is tuned higher than the middle C string, but I have fitted this ukulele with Aquila Red Series Low G strings. They give the instrument a unique, deeper sound that I absolutely love.
Of course, no bard is complete without his outfit. I wear the black Renaissance Tudor Doublet from Celtic WebMerchant over a tunic that was made especially for me on size.
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