Mike's Oud Forums

Oud tuning in Morocco

Doc139 - 6-29-2013 at 12:45 PM

Dear friends,
has anyone an idea how they tune their ouds usually in Morocco, players like i.e. Said Chraibi?
Alexander

Khalid_Salé - 6-29-2013 at 03:06 PM

[Edited for typo]

Said Chraibi tunes DGADGC or CGADGC, or a fifth higher than that when he uses the higher strings as he often does. I don't think there's an especially 'Moroccan' tuning distinct from the various Middle Eastern ones, though, and most of the pros use the usual Arab tunings.

Doc139 - 7-3-2013 at 09:41 AM

Thank you, Khalid! I was just wondering about oud tuning in Morocco, especially of Said Chraibi who is my most favorite player! But: is there a "usual arabic tuning"? I once in the beginning was also thinking there is something like "the usual arabic tuning", until I found out, that there are at least 3 or 4 different kinds of "arabic tuning", which confused me first a lot. More or less all of them think, they are "the usual one"... isn't it?
By the way: since I am coming from time to time to Morocco (mostly to Marrakech): where do you live?
Greetings to the south!!
Alexander, Switzerland

Jody Stecher - 7-3-2013 at 12:18 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Khalid_Salé  
Said Chraibi tunes DGADAC or CGADAC, or a fifth higher than that when he uses the higher strings as he often does. I don't think there's an especially 'Moroccan' tuning distinct from the various Middle Eastern ones, though, and most of the pros use the usual Arab tunings.



Are you sure about the second course (the one below high C) being A and not G? That's a bit unusual and would put a fair amount of tension on the oud using normal strings gauged for Arabic tuning.

Jody Stecher - 7-3-2013 at 12:22 PM

Normally the highest tuned four courses are tuned in fourths. The lower courses are tuned in various ways. If you forget about absolute pitch (is the highest course f or c ? for instance) and just look at this way, the various tunings become easy to understand.
Quote: Originally posted by Doc139  
Thank you, Khalid! I was just wondering about oud tuning in Morocco, especially of Said Chraibi who is my most favorite player! But: is there a "usual arabic tuning"? I once in the beginning was also thinking there is something like "the usual arabic tuning", until I found out, that there are at least 3 or 4 different kinds of "arabic tuning", which confused me first a lot. More or less all of them think, they are "the usual one"... isn't it?
By the way: since I am coming from time to time to Morocco (mostly to Marrakech): where do you live?
Greetings to the south!!
Alexander, Switzerland

Khalid_Salé - 7-3-2013 at 02:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Jody Stecher  
Quote: Originally posted by Khalid_Salé  
Said Chraibi tunes DGADAC or CGADAC, or a fifth higher than that when he uses the higher strings as he often does. I don't think there's an especially 'Moroccan' tuning distinct from the various Middle Eastern ones, though, and most of the pros use the usual Arab tunings.



Are you sure about the second course (the one below high C) being A and not G? That's a bit unusual and would put a fair amount of tension on the oud using normal strings gauged for Arabic tuning.


Sorry yes, G. I should read my posts before posting them :)