R L Using the Cipher — Viol Demonstrations         Working with the Cipher System is a matter of transferring the Cipher number-formula to the fretboard using the Viol version of The Five Degree Calculation Line and resulting counting-grids. Ultimately, this is done with  reference to the  larger set of landmarks provided by the fretboard’s built-in (but invisible) Pattern of Unisons and Octaves. These initial small-area demonstration examples are meant to get our feet wet and will be shown again later in relation to that larger (and proper) context. Demonstration examples — preliminaries To demonstrate how the Five Degree Calculation Line and the Cipher System as a whole are used we’ll begin with small examples and gradually build until the big picture is seen and understood. That is, the big picture of how the Cipher System works, and consequently the big picture of how the fretboard works. The area of the fretboard that used in the first demonstration is highlighted in Figure 1. Other than the fact that only strings one, two, and three are used (using common sense string numbering order), the area is nonspecific and movable. The patterns could be aligned/rooted anywhere on the neck, i.e. on any fret-line, any tonic/root (providing there’s enough room above and below the calculation line for what you want to see or do). Figure 1 — Things to note: Only the first three strings will be used for our first examples Consequently, only three places (points) of the Five Degree Calculation Line are needed Examples are limited to the bounds of one octave (12 half-steps of pitch) For reference purposes, a six fret area of the fretboard has been gridded with counting numbers — above and below the calculation line. However, individual examples (upcoming) do not exceed four frets per example.       Figure 1       The musical materials (formula) included in this first demonstration are as shown in Figure 2. Note the Cipher formula at far right       Figure 2       Demonstration examples: Common musical materials: interval, scale, chord, progression This plate shows the first examples of Cipher formula plotted on the guitar fretboard         Different string-sets, Viol and Lute — Major scale and triad Additional areas of the Viol and Lute fretboard are explored in the second plate. These examples are organized by string-sets of three strings each. The string-sets travel across the fretboard, eventually exercising every string and all points of the greater Five Degree Calculation Line. All patterns on any string-set are always movable up and down the neck.   These examples provide immediate exposure to real life on the viol/lute fretboard. That is, the adaptations and fingering changes viol/lutists must make whenever and where-ever they encounter the fourth-string pattern shift. Patterns and fingerings will vary depending on the starting-point string. The strings-sets effected here (by the fourth-string pattern shift) using commonsense string numbers are (2, 3, 4) and (3, 4, 5). Compare the differences in Major triad shapes that occur on string-sets (2, 3, 4) and (3, 4, 5) with the shape of the Major triad that occurs on string-sets (1, 2, 3) and (4, 5, 6). Fingering patterns on string-sets (1, 2, 3) and (4, 5, 6) are identical to each other and both are due to the viol/lute’s uniform (straight-line) all 4ths tuning pattern of it’s first three and last three adjacent strings (there’s a Major 3rd interval between the middle two strings, and that’s where and why the fourth-string pattern shift ocurrs, it’s the exception in the viol/lute’s otherwise all fourths tuning pattern). Remember, all of these patterns and shapes are natural to the fretboard in this tuning. The Cipher System isn’t creating them, just illuminating them.   All intervals — two octaves of intervals on the fretboard The third and final plate of examples is an example of plotting all intervals, large and small, from a single root tone or tonic, in this case from tone on String-One/Fret-Five. Two octaves of harmonic interval fingerings are shown. The two tones of any harmonic interval are meant to be played simultaneously, like a small chord, so their fingerings may be different from their counterpart melodic intervals. i.e. interval tones played in succession — one after the other or scale-wise. Figure 3 shows the single counting grid used to plot all of the intervals.             Figure 3 (back to All intervals full Plate)     Blank fretboard grids — to print out There’s an 8 page 400k PDF of assorted sizes of blank guitar fretboard grids on the Free page. Use them to practice plotting Five Degree Calculation Lines and counting grids from any point on the fretboard.       What’s next? These demonstration examples were limited to small (3 string) areas of the fretboard. As we enlarger the area to include all six strings at once, the complete Five Degree Calculation Line, full fretboard patterns, and all available octaves of tones, many points of interest, each wanting attention, will arise simultaneously. Establishing priority among them and finding the best sequence to present them is not an easy task. There are hundreds of possibilities. One thing, however, will emerge in reappear in every future illustration or example, a common thread, regardless of the topic or sequence of presentation, that must be addressed before we go any further. That is; portions of the Viola da Gamba fretboard's large but invisible Pattern of Octave tones and Unisons. We can't go much further in explaining how the fretboard works without bumping into the Pattern of the Unisons and Octaves. So that’s our next stop. Index of The Cipher for fretted Viola da Gamba: Front page of The Cipher for Viols and Lute 3 Minute Introduction for Viola da Gamba Commonsense String Numbers, Viola da Gamba Five Degree Calculation Line for Viola da Gamba Demonstrations for Viola da Gamba Number formula translation tables: intervals, scales, and chords Pattern of Unisons and Octaves for Viola da Gamba Beginners open position chords for Viola da Gamba Triads on Viola da Gamba fretboard (two pages) Scales, Major and minor, parallel, Viola da Gamba or Lute fretboard, by string set Chord Progressions for Viola da Gamba and Lute (Triads of Major) Notes of Viola da Gamba and Lute fretboard spelled Free PDFs, Blank 6 and 7 string fretboard grid paper       Painting (detail of): Abraham Tempel     Up to Top of page