Red
Oud Addict
Posts: 38
Registered: 3-23-2006
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Guidance
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.
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ALAMI
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 12-14-2006
Location: Beirut
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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.
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Red
Oud Addict
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Registered: 3-23-2006
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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.
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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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.
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zalzal
Oud Junkie
Posts: 747
Registered: 12-9-2005
Location: Nîmes France
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what is a drone??.
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Hosam
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 12-6-2005
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| 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.
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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.
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Red
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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.
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Beas.One
Oud Maniac
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Registered: 12-5-2006
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A drone is a sustained or repeated note.
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palestine48
Oud Junkie
Posts: 448
Registered: 6-9-2004
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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
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Hatem_Afandi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 414
Registered: 2-26-2005
Location: TX
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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
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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
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Red
Oud Addict
Posts: 38
Registered: 3-23-2006
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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.
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samsamaha
Oud Addict
Posts: 26
Registered: 8-15-2007
Location: Naples, Florida USA
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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.
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amtaha
Oud Junkie
Posts: 342
Registered: 1-30-2006
Location: Canada
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Mood: beginner's frustration ...
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http://www.oudcafe.com/stringing_and_tuning.htm
all you need to know about tuning, thanks to mavrothis.
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