Mike's Oud Forums

Guidance

Red - 3-16-2007 at 02:44 AM

Hello,
I purchased a beautifull Turkish oud from someone I met here on the forums. I recieved it tuned it, changed its strings and slowly began to learn how to play it. I couldnt have done any of that without this forum. I thought I could self teach myself from what I gather on the internet. But there is no subsitute for a real teacher that can hear you play, and you can watch his technique and learn.

The problem I face is that I have doubts as to whether im hitting the correct notes. I have no one that guides me or an audience that would point out if im off note or if im producing "Nashaz" if I may say.

Although my oud is a Turkish oud I have it tuned in an Arabic style (FAdgcf). Sometimes I blame the oud since it's Turkish and not made for Arabic tunings. Other times I just doubt I am hitting the correct notes, and fear that my ears and fingers have adjusted to the wrong notes without me realizing.

Any tips guys? Any help you can offer will be appreciated.

ALAMI - 3-16-2007 at 08:37 AM

Hi Red

just get a tuner, a model with leds, they are now at 10-20 $, start by playing regular scales (no quarter tones) and try to keep the green led on, keep exercising until you can play your scale many times without the green going off and after a while start to relay on your ears only.

Red - 3-16-2007 at 09:18 AM

That is exactly how I learned. I also figured out "Qarar and Jawab" using that tuner technique. It's just sometimes I feel the music I play lacks richness.

Brian Prunka - 3-16-2007 at 10:03 AM

Just a note on that technique: the equal tempered scales you get from the tuner are not the correct intonation for arabic music (even without quarter-tones). It'll help you from being way off, but it can also teach you some bad habits.
Another way to practice is with a drone; set a drone to the key you're in, and try to make all the notes sound as in-tune with that as possible. THis way you train your ears and your fingers correctly.

zalzal - 3-16-2007 at 10:08 AM

what is a drone??.

Hosam - 3-16-2007 at 03:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brian Prunka
Just a note on that technique: the equal tempered scales you get from the tuner are not the correct intonation for arabic music (even without quarter-tones). It'll help you from being way off, but it can also teach you some bad habits.


Any tips on how to tune the oud to the correct Arabic intonation? Is there a different “Arabic set” of frequencies for CFAdgc?
I have a peterson tuner and I can practically set it to anything I want.

Red - 3-16-2007 at 04:32 PM

I think by the drone he means the same note but on a lower scale. I'm no music wiz so excuse my ignorance if im incorrect.

Beas.One - 3-16-2007 at 07:52 PM

A drone is a sustained or repeated note.

palestine48 - 3-16-2007 at 09:11 PM

im currently taking lessons and i suggest u do the same. Brian is right the intonation on the oud does not match the tuner. Why? I am not sure but I think it has to do more with the cultural aspects of sound than the western tempered mathematical formulas that derive notes. also the tuner has a certian level of tolerance that your ear does not.


Anyways one thing I am learning is to play in first position. first position means your first finger will be a half step from the Opemn string and each finger shall be a half step apart from each other.

For example start with a C string. 1st finger shall hover over C#, 2nd finger over D, third over E flat, and pinky over E.

and how do u know you are in first position? i think like brian said about drone. take a fingered note and match it to a tuned open string. for example D to open D. and thats how you are supoosed to learn to play the right notes.

Its still not that easy I am still getting used to it but im learning.

So all in all, take lessons you will do it eventually so might as well start before u build bad habits

Hatem_Afandi - 3-17-2007 at 07:43 PM

Hi Red,

This is a good book. I have a copy. The CDs are a great source of practice. It is really well-done in a rather simplistic way for everyone interested in Arabic music
.
http://www.cameronpowers.com/teachingCDs.html

This is also a good book

http://cgi.ebay.com/OUD-METHOD-HAL-LEONARD-NEW-BOOK-CD-PACKAGE_W0QQ...

Good luck,

Hatem

Red - 8-14-2007 at 03:42 PM

Well i bought the book on ebay by "John Bilezikjian" great book, cheap price, excellent quality. Problem is it's Turkish tunings. At first I got pissed off that it was Turkish since I play In Arabic tuning, but then the "Chords" chapter in the book cought my eye. They sounded great on the CD, so In a matter of minutes i retuned my oud to Turkish and started hitting those chords. Bottomline I liked the book, Im learning alot from it. I would also suggest it for Turkish oud players. If you are interested in Arabic then I suggest getting another book. It doesnt hurt to explore though.

Props to a great book.

samsamaha - 8-27-2007 at 02:18 PM

DGADGC .... took me a while to tune my OUD to it, I have a nice tuner with a clip on microphone ... my question as a very very beginner is... is that's the right way to tune the OUD... if yes ... then somebody explain ... why? ... if not so please advice me with the right one.

amtaha - 8-27-2007 at 04:10 PM

http://www.oudcafe.com/stringing_and_tuning.htm

all you need to know about tuning, thanks to mavrothis.