theorbo-lute

musical instrument

Also known as: French lute

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July 14, 2026

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The theorbo-lute, also known as the French lute, was a musical instrument popular in the 17th century. It was a modification of the regular double-strung lute, with the addition of one to three extra bass strings that ran off the fingerboard. These instruments featured two pegboxes, with one angled backward. Smaller and more agile than the theorbo, the theorbo-lute was favored by French lutenists of the period, influencing the style of French harpsichord music.12

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theorbo
A similar, smaller instrument, the theorbo-lute, or French lute, was a modification of the regular double-strung lute, to which were added one to three off-the-fingerboard courses of bass strings. There were two pegboxes, one angled backward. Smaller and more agile than the theorbo, the theorbo-lute was the favourite of the…
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A similar, smaller instrument, the theorbo-lute, or French lute, was a modification of the regular double-strung lute, to which were added one to three off-the-fingerboard courses of bass strings. There were two pegboxes, one angled backward. Smaller and more agile than the theorbo, the theorbo-lute was the favourite of the…
Read More

lute
…smaller archlute, known as the theorbo-lute (so called because it resembled the theorbo), or French lute, was used by the 17th-century French school of lutenists, including Jacques and Denis Gaultier. This instrument’s repertory required a highly mannered and ornamented style of performance and a new technique of broken chords and…
Read More
…smaller archlute, known as the theorbo-lute (so called because it resembled the theorbo), or French lute, was used by the 17th-century French school of lutenists, including Jacques and Denis Gaultier. This instrument’s repertory required a highly mannered and ornamented style of performance and a new technique of broken chords and…
Read More