Mike's Oud Forums

Octave stringing?

Tarbool59 - 2-6-2009 at 01:51 PM

Hi,
just wondering if some players use/ put one string an octave lower or higher within a pair on the instrument, as the 15th and 16th centuries european lutes. I know the oud is mainly a melodic instrument but octave give such a deep or crispy warm tone on the G and A strings (in a GADGC tuning).

Looking for clues..:bowdown:

Boral - 2-8-2009 at 10:47 AM

Hi Tarbool,

The portuguese guitar with it's caracteristic sound (diferent from the related cither) is tuned that way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URHtEjwh9Hc&feature=related

The 3 lower stings have their double tuned one octave higher.
perhaps it could be an interesting experiment with the oud.

Please tell us your results.
p.s. On the video you see the late Carlos Paredes - great composer and player

suz_i_dil - 2-8-2009 at 11:40 AM

The first course of baglama is tune like this, and also the charango, a small guitar from south america.
Never heard about on an oud.
If you want to try, you will have to use custom strings. Try to ask Matthias Wagner on this forum, member name Matthias, we may help you for that.

Ararat66 - 2-8-2009 at 01:42 PM

Didn't Udi Hrant experiment with this??

Leon

Jonathan - 2-8-2009 at 05:44 PM

Yes. There are quite a few Hrant recordings in which his oud is tuned in octaves.

suz_i_dil - 2-9-2009 at 11:51 AM

I am curious of listening to this experiment on the oud.
Is this available on the double volume CD of his recordings ( called early records )?

Ararat66 - 2-9-2009 at 01:12 PM

Hi

Track 16. Hicaz taksim cifte kiris, on Udi Hrant Volume 1, has this tuning.

Leon