Altobasso

Altobasso (It.: high-low), obs. N. It. equivalent of the tambourin à cordes, folk zither with rectangular body strung with a few strings tuned to tonic and dominant. Giuseppi Zarlino (Sopplimenti, 1588) informs us that these were of gut and that altobasso is a Venetian name. The strings were struck with a little stick. Often the player would suspend it from one arm, thus having one hand free to strike the strings, the other to hold a small flute. Praetorius is in error in identifying it with…