I was wondering if any Greek/players of greek music would be willing to share their preferred tunings.
I've noticed a lot of music from Thrace is played with G/sol as a tonic, which I've found can feel awkward in turkish tuning. What kind of music do
you play and how do you tune to suit it best?
All the best )dario - 3-24-2021 at 10:18 PM
I use old Turkish tuning (daeBAE, dropping the low E to D if I'm playing in D) which is great for playing in A.
If I'm playing in G or C I put a capo a minor third from the nut. I find it gives the oud a very sweet sound.Ralf Krueger - 3-25-2021 at 01:08 PM
Turkish tuning is certainly the most obvious option, due to various historical and musical connections. I use turkish scale oud (or floating bridge),
but with modified arabic tuning: cgdAEC (low F dropped to E).
It may be not that common, but it fits nicely to Rembetiko style and to trichordho bouzouki tuned in DAD. You can use open bass strings not only in D,
but also C or E tonic works quite well. Playing in G or A is often also ok, depending on melody or dhromos (makam), although sometimes the range is
not ideal. Jody Stecher - 3-26-2021 at 08:13 PM
I believe this guy also has it tuned to DGADGC.
Interesting considering that's more traditional with Arabs. I would think Greeks would play more similarly to Turks/Armenians. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muoQskCbc-4ArmoOudist - 3-27-2021 at 04:59 AM
I believe this guy also has it tuned to DGADGC.
Interesting considering that's more traditional with Arabs. I would think Greeks would play more similarly to Turks/Armenians.
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muoQskCbc-4
[/url]
Though...now that I think about it, it could be because both he and the girl mentioned above are accompanying female singers. Tuning the oud a step
down may make it easier to accompany their voices.Jody Stecher - 3-27-2021 at 07:36 AM
I believe this guy also has it tuned to DGADGC.
Interesting considering that's more traditional with Arabs. I would think Greeks would play more similarly to Turks/Armenians.
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muoQskCbc-4
[/url]
Geography suggests that. And of course Manol, whose oud design has influenced Turkish oud making since the early 20th century, was Greek. But the
real situation is not so tidy. It all depends on circumstances I think. There have always been Greeks in Arab lands. Especially Egypt. Alexandria.
Cairo too. And then some of the Greek oud players on old 78s are playing Arabic ouds in Arabic tuning(s). Even in America there were Armenians who
sang in Armenian while playing Arabic oud. And then others in different parts of Greece and elsewhere are playing Turkish ouds in Turkish tunings.
By the way I think the tonic G is ok in Turkish tuning. It could be modified by tuning the 5th course to G. Or not.ArmoOudist - 3-27-2021 at 07:52 AM
That's fair. I always play EABEAD, but that's because that's just the traditional tuning for Armenians in America.dario - 3-27-2021 at 09:26 AM
Other instruments common in Greek music (Bb/C clarinet, violin, mainland lute) tend to play quite easily in keys with fewer sharps like C, G and D, so
it makes sense to use Arabic tuning to accompany.
Turkish/Armenian tuning is convenient for playing in A, E and B, which I think is why Turkish clarinet players tend to play on G instruments.ArmoOudist - 3-27-2021 at 10:18 AM
Yeah, it's crazy how much tuning affects how you play. When I first starting playing on my old oud (Syrian style), playing Armenian songs felt
awkward. When I got my newer one, it felt so much easier.
)