ISBN 9781513459882. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.

Robert Johnson (c. 1583 1633) was the last of the great English lutenists; he served Prince Henry and was later a prominent figure in the court of Charles I. He wrote music for many plays and masques of the time, including several by Shakespeare. Decades after Johnsons death, in a Dialogue between the Author and His Lute within Musicks Monument and the persona of the Lute, writer and lutenist Thomas Mace described John Dowland and Robert Johnson as Two famous men; Great Masters in My Art. Despite such high praise and the fact that much of Johnsons music is well-suited to the guitar, few guitarists play it. This comprehensive collection of solo lute works, transcribed for guitar in standard notation, is an attempt to remedy this shortcoming. It includes music for the beginner as well as the advanced player. The books 23 pieces range from Johnsons delightful almains, galliards, masques and a single coranto to the somber intensity of the pavans and a fantasie. Dropped-D and lowered third-string tuning (F#) are frequently used to better approximate the tuning and range of the 9 or 10-course Renaissance lute.