Dowland: English Lute Songs. Twelve of Dowland's best-known songs, presented so that they can be sung with either lute or guitar accompaniment. A very popular Tecla book.

Each song is here presented with its accompaniment written out twice:

Once in tablature, which is very easy to read and can be played either on a lute, or easily on a guitar with the third string tuned down from G to F sharp;

and once in ordinary guitar notation for guitar with the third string tuned to G as usual, so that it can be played on a normal guitar in the usual way.

You can see how it works by looking at the first song here, "Come again!", page 1 and page 2 (pdf files).
FOR MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK, AND LIST OF THE INDIVIDUAL SONGS, SEE BELOW.

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Paperbound TECLA 0038:

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The book contains the following songs:

Come again! sweet Love doth now invite
Sleep, wayward thoughts
Awake, sweet love
Flow, my tears [Dowland's most famous song]
I saw my lady weep
Shall I sue
Flow not so fast, ye fountains
Say, Love, if ever thou didst find
Sweet, stay awhile
To ask for all thy love
Stay, Time, awhile thy flying
Time stands still
The vocal range is not high at all if the songs are sung with a normal guitar: only up to D or E at most. If the songs are sung with a lute in G, then the voice sings a minor third higher, up to E or F or G except three songs which only go up to D.
The very fine calligraphy in this edition was done by Barry Mason, who then for a long time ran the Spanish Guitar Centre in Cranbourn Street, London.

Alan Moore writes:

What a delight - I wish I had discovered Tecla Editions years ago. The quality of the collections that I have bought so far is really impressive and how sensible to offer a price incentive to dissuade people from photocopying. [This refers to the special low prices which we offer when singers buy two copies of a book at the same time, one for the singer and one for the pianist or guitarist, as for example for this book English Lute Songs, see above.]

The Dowland English Lute Songs is superb. I haven’t yet played them with a singer but the accompaniments alone are a delight to play as solos! Having tried a capo for the first time, as you recommend for some of the songs; I am quite astonished by the difference in the sound quality - it is almost as though I am playing a different instrument. Everyone who enjoys Elizabethan music must try this book. Thank you Brian Jeffery - it is a pleasure to deal with your company. Alan Moore

Tecla main page.

John Dowland:

English Lute Songs

a selection, edited by Brian Jeffery