"Saltarello" is the vibrant finale which concludes the "Six Lute Pieces of the Renaissance" (arranged for classical guitar). This lively Italian dance provides the listener with a cheerful end to a truly beautiful collection lute pieces. As a player, interpreting and playing this piece was a lot of fun.

Students: Saltarello can be played slower than it was performed here. I have watched dancers perform a Saltarello in the 180bpm realm, but I often prefer how the phrases sing on my instrument around 230bpm. The key to getting this piece performance-ready is playing the melody, A LOT. You have to learn how to deliberately shape this melody, drawing attention to the four-measure (or eight-measure) phrases, and make the slurs very strong. Practice the slurs by themselves. Before even attempting to play both the melody and drone bass line simultaneously, the melody has to be almost effortless for you. Adding the bass with the melody will present a coordination challenge, but it is much more accessible technically if the melody has been mastered. A lot of players tend to make Saltarello all forte, lacking any dynamic changes, but explore the possibilities. You'll notice that when I play it, I make it build, specifically from m.1-17 before I go ponticello. When practicing this piece, you must practice PHRASES - this is very important. For example, practice m. 1-4 as it's own thing, m.5-8 by itself, then string the two phrases together, now thinking of the two four-measure phrases as a larger eight-measure phrase comprised of two smaller four-measure phrases. Saltarello is tough to master - practice, practice, practice, and good luck!

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