Mehran
Oud Junkie
Posts: 210
Registered: 4-27-2006
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Beginners advice on care
Hi people.
Im primarily a woodwind player so i have no knowledge on the care for string instruments.
After i play my Oud and want to pack it away till the next day should i take the tension out of the strings as not to strain the instrument? The last
thing i want happening is something snapping under the strain. (i had a bad experience in the past with a guitar with a bridge flying off)
Also would tuning the Oud strings to higher notes be risky or can all Ouds take it?
Thanks
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oudmaker
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 12-23-2004
Location: Philadelphia-USA
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Mehran
Do not play around with your oud changing or loosinig of the strings. Keep your instrument in tune all the time. If the brigde comes off flying that
means you have a bad instrument or unsuitable environment. Try to correct it. If you want your instrument to improve and settle down for its atmost
capability of playibility and sounding keep the tunning regardless. Make sure you use the tunning to what your instrument is design for. Can all
instruments take it? No not the bad ones.
Regards
Dincer
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billkilpatrick
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 1-3-2004
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arabic tunings are generally a step or so below turkish tunings:
(bass to treble)
arabic:
C-F-A-d-g-c
D-G-A-d-g-c
turkish:
E-A-B-e-a-d
E-F#-B-e-a-d
C#-F#-B-e-a-d
there are many variations - what i use on my egyptian made (arabic) oud, for example is this:
C-E-A-d-g-c
a general rule of thumb might be that it's ok to go below a recommended tuning but try to avoid going beyond it.
an oud and woodwind player would be a terrific asset to any group i would imagine as well as a well-rounded solo performer - complimenti.
- bill
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Mehran
Oud Junkie
Posts: 210
Registered: 4-27-2006
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thanks for the advice guys.
and thanks for the compliment bill. I play mostly saxophone and flute when im playing arabic music, but i wanted to take up Oud as well because it
just sounds fantastic.
Ive got an arabic style oud and ive been using the tuning D-G-A-d-g-c. Also, because of these tunings when choosing new strings should they have a
specific thickness for the pitches?
Mehran
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billkilpatrick
Oud Junkie
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dear mehran -
i'm not sure i understand your question properly but if you're asking would a "D" string have a thicker gauge than a "d" string then the answer is
yes.
just recently, greg (a moderator here at chez mike's) posted the following information to an adjacent thread discussing nylgut strings:
Arabic tuning
vibrating string length: 62 cms
pitch: a-440 Hz
nylgut & gut density =1.30
1st c: 2x .62 mm nylgut = 4.3 Kg each string
2nd g: 2x .80 mm nylgut = 4.0 Kg each string
3rd d: 2x wound strings (of 1.17 mm equiv. solid gut) = 4.7 Kg each string; external gauge: .64 mm
4th A: 2x wound strings (of 1.50 mm equiv. solid gut) = 4.2 Kg each string; external gauge: .77mm
……………………..
5th F: 2x wound strings (of 1.87 mm equiv. solid gut) = 4.3 Kg each string; external gauge: .87 mm
5th G: 2x wound strings (of 1.68 mm equiv. solid gut) = 4.3 Kg each string; external gauge: .81mm
6th C: 1x wound strings (of 2.48 mm equiv. solid gut) = 4.2 Kg; external gauge: 1.10 mm
6th D: 1x wound strings (of 2.20 mm equiv. solid gut) = 4.2 Kg; external gauge: 1.00 mm
how's that for comprehensive science?
as a sax/flute player, i'd be very interested to know how you're getting on with the oud - how easy or effective it will be to take what you've
learned on woodwinds and adapt it to fret-less strings.
- bill
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