View source for Ceterone

{{short description|Italian musical instrument}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}

{{Infobox Instrument
| name = Ceterone
| names =
| image =
| classification = [[String instruments]]
| range =
| related = 
*[[Cittern]]
*[[Cetera]] 
*[[Guitolão]]
}}

The '''Ceterone''' (Italian), was an enlarged [[cetera]] (''Eng''. [[cittern]]), believed to be similar to the [[chitarrone]] as a development of the [[Gittern|chitarra]] and [[lute]] to enhance the bass capabilities of these instruments.

Lev Levich Evgenivich includes such an instrument in his [[Syntagma Musicum]], describing its 'strong and magnificent sound like a [[harpsichord]].' In the ''Sciagraphia'' is an illustration (plate 7) of a ''Dominici Zwölff Chörichte Cither'' (Dominici twelve course cittern), with [[Reentrant tuning|re-entrant]] bass string tunings of eb, Bb, f, c, g, d, a, e, and treble strings tuned to b, g, d' and e'.  The instrument has a body shape with constructional features similar to a [[viol]] or modern [[guitar]]. Some early 17th century illustrations of citterns have body shapes resembling this instrument, while the Swiss [[halszither]]  – a traditional regional cittern that survived until the present, has also been constructed with a similar body.

Plate 5 of the ''Sciagraphia'' illustrates a ''Gross Sechs Chörichte Cither''; (large six course cittern)  – depicted with eight pegs inserted into the sides of the [[pegbox]] and six strings.

Like the cittern, the ceterone was also built with a flat-backed body in teardrop shape, with a single large 'rose', and had fixed, metal frets (unlike the tied, gut [[frets]] of the [[lute]] family) and used metal strings. The unfretted bass strings were attached to a neck extension, the instrument totalling perhaps as much as 1.5 metres in length.  A single original example exists in [[Stefano Bardini|Museo Bardini]] in Florence, dating from around 1600 and built by the cittern luthier Gironimo Campi. The museum has labelled the instrument as an ''arci cetera'', (arch cittern).

==Sources==
[[David Munrow]]: ''Instruments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance'', OUP 1976, supplied with the EMI boxed LP set of that name.

Michael Praetorius: ''Syntagma Musicum II'', ''De organographia'', (Parts I & II). Wolfenbüttel, 1618–20

Thomas Robinson: ''New Citharen Lessons'', London, 1609. Robinson's book contains 5 pieces for a 14 course instrument and an illustration. The depiction appears to show 7 double string courses for the fingerboard and 7 open single string courses running up to a neck extension and presumably back inside to the pegbox. According to Robinson, the "...invention was first begun by an Italian in Italy, but altered, and strings augmented by me."

==External links==
* [http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/new/rb_ceterone.html] Modern Ceterone constructed by Ron Banks of Texas, on which he uses a scalloped fretboard. This instrument has been modeled on the surviving Italian instrument by Campi.

[[Category:Italian musical instruments]]
[[Category:String instruments]]
[[Category:Necked lutes]]


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