oudman71 - 3-28-2007 at 03:09 PM
Ok guys,
There aren't a lot of oud players in my area, so I don't often get to talk shop with fellow oud lovers. Until very recently I preferred the standard
Arabic Oud tuning to all others, but recently I purchased a new Oud that just sounds stellar in High F. It's getting to the point where I'm beginning
to value a high f string over a low C. So, my question is, how many of you out there use High F tuning? How many of you prefer it? How many of you
prefer standard tuning? And if you need any encouragement, tell me why you prefer what you prefer. I want to see what the consensus is out there these
days.
Thanks in advance.
michoud - 3-28-2007 at 09:35 PM
Hi oudman71!!
I use in my bashir bridge style EABEAD and in the traditional bridge style DGADGC
ALAMI - 3-29-2007 at 12:42 AM
You will not find consensus in the oud world and it is probably a good thing, it means that the instrument is well alive and in good health, different
people are experimenting different things.
a few years ago the Lebanese National Conservatory and the Kaslik University, both with a long and prestigious oud teaching history, adopted Charbel
Rouhana's method with a high f tuning as the standard for oud.
This was, and still, critcized by old school teachers saying that Charbel Rouhana is teaching guitar-on-oud.
Then you have the 7 course oud, people have different opinions, it is loved and hated. I play both and like very much the 7 course but I have to agree
that it is less friendly than the 6, and then you have people saying that 5 course is enough, I tried it and it is very pleasant in its own way, kind
of "less is more".
My opinion: your best solution is dependent of the kind of music you like to play, try both and decide by yourself (and later on I am sure you will
change your mind again)
stringmanca - 3-29-2007 at 12:37 PM
I learned on CEADGC tuning and my Najarian electric is still tuned that way (although I haven't been playing it much lately) 
The instrument that I brought back from Cairo in November was tuned (in 5 courses) FADGC so I thought I'd experiment a bit and add a high F. I've
been getting used to it and find that I don't really use the high string that much, but it's nice to have it there when I need it - and I've been
consciously trying to use it more. I do miss the low C, though, and someday I'd like to get a 7-course. In the meantime, I may have to get another
oud on my next trip to Cairo and string it CEADGC, so I have all the options available!
High F Tuning
oudman71 - 3-29-2007 at 05:31 PM
I appreciate the feedback guys. This has been a really vexing question for me. Part of me would be happy with C tuning for the rest of my life. I have
compositions I have written recently just prior to purchasing this new Shehata, all of them go high on the C string, and I worked hard to play them in
that tuning. Now I can easily go to the f string and play them with much less effort. But it feels like cheating...
On the other hand how much do I use the low C? Basically I'm echoing D or C an octave down. Other than that I don't touch it. The f adds a whole new
dimension, but maybe not a traditional dimension. I can't help but recall that Zeryab is famous among other things for adding a string to the Oud. I'm
sure he got a lot of flack at the time for that as well...
And you're right Alami. The oud is indeed alive.
And therefore, changing.
excentrik - 3-29-2007 at 11:45 PM
My Ghadban is happily tuned to F B(flat) D g c f with high tension aquilas. I love it- theres no sound like any Ive heard... your not cheating my
friend- it is only a step up... dont trip-
tarik
palestine48 - 3-30-2007 at 07:28 AM
Be Careful guys,
Tuning in F makes hair grow on your palms and could make you go blind and deaf. I"ve noticed Excentriks glasses have been getting thick as of late.
SamirCanada - 3-30-2007 at 07:37 AM
Ramy is right...
it makes you grow hair on your palms. It also affects your imune system research has proven! thank you Dr.Ramy
You dont wana mess with a high f tuning look at what could happen.!!
oudman71 - 3-30-2007 at 09:29 AM
So that's what the deal is!!!!!!!!
I was wondering.
Thank's for the warning. I'm sticking with C from now on!!!
excentrik - 4-9-2007 at 11:50 AM
you guys suck! The hair on my palms has nothing to do with High F tunning.... I was raised by wolves!
Haaaaaaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
tarik
zoukboy - 5-28-2007 at 09:47 PM
I've been playing in DGADGC for about 5 years. About 6 months ago I decided I wanted to try high F on my Najarian Arabic model oud. After consulting
with Viken as to the correct gauge string for that note I took off the low D string and moved the G A D G and C courses over (reducing the G course to
a single string) and put .020 strings on the top course for the F.
I loved the F but really missed the low D string, so I took off the single G and put the D back on. My current tuning is DADGCF which gives me the
range of a 7 course by sacrificing the open G course. Turns out I don't mind fingering a G on the low D string when I need it, and for some pieces I
retune the A course down to G and the D down to C, so I think I have the best of both worlds here.
--
Roger Landes
rwlandes@taosnet.com
Website: http://rogerlandes.com
Bouzouki duo CD: http://janissarystomp.com
ZoukFest World Music Camp, June 10-16th, 2007: http://zoukfest.com
Benjamin - 5-29-2007 at 03:16 AM
already a lot had been said here. I'll just add some of my own experience with this question which was as well almost traumatising for me ;-)
I'm just tuned in a very traditionnal arabic way, ie CFADGC, and last september I tried to add instead of the low C a high F (FADGCF), which was very
fun and made it easier for turkish compositions, but my taqasims and my style of playing were just amputate of the bass playing which I always loved,
that's why I came back to the low C, which is by the way also low (some people prefer D or even E), but rast do or hijaz kar kurd in Do are not the
same, even if you should always try to concentrate your activity on the 5 central strings..
Anyway it's just a personnal evaluation, and all what everybody said on the forum is interesting, but I just feel I was born again when I put back the
C low string ;-)
Benjamin
Tuning solution
barbatzan - 6-5-2007 at 08:52 AM
Hey all,
Here's a solution for you all. Buy a second oud. I've been playing one oud for a while now and have been playing three traditions on it
Turkish/Armenian, Arabic and Persian. Most of you are familiar with the first two. The Persian/Iranian tuning which originates in the oud ancestor
Barbat (4 courses before Zaryab added the fifth), is even lower than the standard Arabic and is a variation of BFCGFB. I found out after many years of
having to switch from tradition to tradition that I am now ready to purchase at least one more oud if not two each with its own tuning. I found that
tuning the oud up and down too often really damages the instrument and messes with the integrity of sound, and adds unwanted effects such as buzzing,
etc.
Another reason for me to buy more than oine oud would be to have different quality ones for different gigs, keeping the really expensive one for
acoustic or non-miked situations, and using less expensive ones for outdoor gigs, or loud festivals, etc.
just my two Rials!
Kamran