U
I
T
A
R
(Guiterne, Guiterre, "Renaissance Guitar")
has four open courses tuned to :
sometimes with exceptions, eg. :
- 4 = f (called "a los viejos" in Spain, or "à corde avalée" in France, literally meaning "lowered string")
- 3 = b (Morlaye)
- 2 = eb andt 1 = g (Playford)
(now called " Baroque Guitar")
has a basic pattern of A d g b e across 5 courses, which can present many variants, in particular: 
... 
or : 
Other possibilities may include the third course doubled up an octave, the two lowest courses in unison or triple-strung, or even 5 single strings. Towards the end of the eighteenth century a double E is added which finally becomes a single string; this is the stringing of the modern-day classical guitar: E A d g b e.
Composers do not always indicate their choice concerning the tuning of their instrument, and sometimes they change the intervals between strings (eg. B d g c' f', or B c g c' e' etc.)
U
T
E
(now called"Renaissance Lute")
First of all with 6 courses, then 7, then 8
6 courses : 
8 courses : 
with some variants, especially for the double F (sometimes in unison, sometimes tuned up an octave).
(now called "Pre-Baroque Lute" and "Baroque Lute")
The preceding "renaissance" lute gained two more courses in the lower register at the beginning of the seventeenth century, and then underwent different transitional tunings. Eventually it settled into a tuning called "nouveau ton" in France, with 11 courses at the end of the century, and 13 at the end of the eighteenth century:
10 course "Pre-Baroque" Lute: 
13 course "Baroque" lute : 
Afterwards the instrument fell little by little into disuse, and disappeared completely by the nineteenth century.
I
H
U
E
L
A
(Vihuela de mano, Viola da mano)
An instrument with 6 courses of strings, tuned like the lute but which could all be in unison. :
Bermudo talks of a 7-string vihuela, and Fuellana wrote music for 5 double courses.
.
authors :
T
H
E
O
R
B
O
© Gérard Rebours
- with the kind permission of "Les Cahiers de la Guitare".
By continuing to widen the bass register of the Renaissance lute, an instrument with up to 14 courses was created, called the archlute.
The theorbo, or chitarrone in Italy, is generally fitted with 14 single strings often made of gut, but sometimes also of metal (eg. in Piccinini), tuned :
Double course theorboes can also be found, and yet others with extra bass strings for inflected notes.
These instruments, like the others in this table, were for solo performance (original works and adaptations), ensemble music, for accompanying a singer(s), for use in small or large groups.
authors :