Though John Dowland had been one of the greatest lute virtuosos of his age and left more than 100 solos for the instrument, very few were printed during his lifetime. Lovers of his vocal music can trace his development through his songs, but find themselves frequently at a loss concerning the development of compositions for his principal instrument. Any piece of music upon which can be hung a date thus attains greater value. In the case of Dowland's Almain, composed for a "John Smith," historical evidence may offer one such date. Though of course the name "John Smith" in the English language is almost comically ubiquitous, there did exist at least one Jacobean Englishman of that name who may have known Dowland. And interestingly, the two lone music manuscripts that preserve copies of Dowland's "John Smith" Almain differ on Smith's title. The earlier of the two calls the lute solo an almain for "Mr Smith," while the later one—produced after John Smith of Essex was knighted in 1605, dedicates Dowland's music to "Sir John Smith." If the two John Smiths are one and the same, then Dowland's piece can be dated by Smith's life into the 1590s.

The dance Dowland dedicated to Mr.—or Sir—John Smith was an Almain, a dance traditionally seen as German in origin. Its general character was expected to follow a courtly pattern of moderate-tempo duple-meter steps, with strong emphasis on the downbeats (Germans, of course, being seen as more clumsy in their dancing). Yet Dowland in the form of this particular piece steps away from the mere courtly dance, and explores more abstract musical forms. If he followed contemporary practice, Dowland might take a simpler dance melody, in its binary form, and give the performer virtuosic variations upon the basic musical form. Dowland in this piece presents an even more subtle plan. His first time through the dance tune, he embellishes each repeated strain as expected. However, upon his second pass he doesn't merely embellish the original dance strain, but apparently creates musical variations upon his own variations, taking the virtuosity to the second power. Dowland's own signature in one of the manuscript copies confirms his bizarre intentions.

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