mdshax
Oud Admirer
Posts: 1
Registered: 5-31-2021
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Treble sounds on Arabic vs Turkish
Hi, all! Relatively new player here, and I need a bit of a sanity check. My first oud was a Turkish oud from Sala, but I recently purchased an Arabic
oud -- a Shami Oud by Zeryab from Ethnic Musical. The sound is very different, especially in the top/treble courses where the sound is very bright and
decays quickly.
What I want to be sure of thought is there is very much a "plinking" sound or undertone, mostly on the second string (G), markedly less so but still a
little present on the top string (C). Is that just a tonal characteristic of Arabic ouds vs Turkish, or do I have a setup issue?
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ArmoOudist
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 11-21-2020
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You're not crazy, Turkish ouds are known for having a longer sustain, while Arab ouds have a more percussive quality.
Growing up Armenian, I was used to hearing Turkish oud. My first oud was an old Arab one my grandfather had gotten from Damascus. I ran into the same
problem. I was getting frustrated because the oud never sounded like I was used to hearing. (I eventually got a Turkish oud of a little higher
quality, so that helped)
In the end, ouds will all probably slightly vary from each other, especially if they are made by hand. I'm not sure what oud music you listen to, but
that will affect how what you think the "right" oud sound will be.
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1356
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: California
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Quote: Originally posted by mdshax  | Hi, all! Relatively new player here, and I need a bit of a sanity check. My first oud was a Turkish oud from Sala, but I recently purchased an Arabic
oud -- a Shami Oud by Zeryab from Ethnic Musical. The sound is very different, especially in the top/treble courses where the sound is very bright and
decays quickly.
What I want to be sure of thought is there is very much a "plinking" sound or undertone, mostly on the second string (G), markedly less so but still a
little present on the top string (C). Is that just a tonal characteristic of Arabic ouds vs Turkish, or do I have a setup issue?
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Short sustain is an intentional characteristic of Arabic ouds. The bright plinking sound may well be the result of how you are holding the
plectrum/mizrap/risha. The best ouds in the world will sound that way if the plectrum is held between thumb and index as some guitarists do. Another
possibility is a faulty gg string or gg pair.
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