wfspark
Oud Junkie
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Location: San Antonio Texas
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Playing oud while standing.
Hello everyone. How do you hold an oud and play while standing? Do you need a strap? If so are their special oud straps, or can you use classical
guitar straps? Any info on this topic would be great. Thanks.
William F. Sparks
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Zulkarnain
Oud Junkie
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Hi Will
You dont need a strap actually..its easier with Turkish oud as they are much more lighter and smaller in size-u can just hug the oud firmly and
playing in a standing position without thinking too much about the oud (it get better after awhile) As for other type of oud I guess it depends on the
oud size it self...sometimes it could be very dificult to perform standing..or u can put your right arm slightly lower than the sitting position so it
will some how support the oud (almost like resting the bottom part of the oud around your right arm)
I always bring my Turkish oud around incase I have to perform in that particular manner.
Hope that will help 
Regards
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nadir
Oud Junkie
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I find it kind of hard to play the oud while I'm standing, haha, I always end up slowly leaning backwards...!
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Zulkarnain
Oud Junkie
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Hi
I think after awhile u might get use to this...seriously its not that hard! Always try to play while standing during your normal practice at home or
with your group-infront of the mirror should do the trick actually
Oud Greatless Fans
**see how sexy you are holding the oud n trying to impress some chicks!
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wfspark
Oud Junkie
Posts: 166
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Location: San Antonio Texas
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Mood: Oud entranced!
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Playing oud while standing.
Is it kinda like holding a mandolin?
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Zulkarnain
Oud Junkie
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Hi
Mandolin is much more easy coz of the size I guess..
Salam
**Never hold one!
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Michael
Oud Maniac
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Jeez! I think I'll wait 'til I can play the damn thing sat down first.
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Zulkarnain
Oud Junkie
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
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I actually have learned to like playing oud while standing. In some ways, it's easier to get the right posture, especially if you're
relatively tall. Simon Shaheen will often perform standing, with his right foot up on a chair, resting the oud on his right leg.
Al Bardezbanian uses a strap for the oud, although he usually plays sitting. He just uses a classical guitar strap, but you have to have a strap
button put on the end of your oud.
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bahleh13
Oud Maniac
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Hey guys...
Playing Oud while standing isnt a big issue I believe. It is quite easy if u play it while propping it with your right knee, that is when u put ur
foot on the chair, but it is possible also to play it without any support from below. I do it myself. Mainly u have to put more pressure from ur right
shoulder and keep a grip on the neck. To make it easier as well, tilt a bit to the back so that your torso can aid in support, thus making the grip
less, and reducing the stress u have to put on ur arms. Of course the disadvantages is that you cannot play with the dexterity when being seated, or
when the Oud's supported from below. I will try to record a small video of me just to show how, once I figure out how to do it and how to
compress.
Brian, I have never seen or heard about anyone with a strap on his Oud. Do u have a pic of the mentioned person?
Peace y'all
Yours truly,
Basel
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Ronny Andersson
Oud Junkie
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As always sorry for my poor Eng. but I was younger then...
Playing Oud Standing:
Best wishes
Ronny
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ghassan bashir
Oud Addict
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play while standing
hi guys
this is not as easy as some of you guys think..and not practical period..
playing the oud profissionaly needs
alot of concentration,and a full control on the instrument..and from my expierence,i tell you that playing while standing makes you loose that control
and limits your both hands mobility,and could only play very simple notes so improfissionaly..
guys ,ther is a certain way to hold this instrument and play it ,and thats if you have the right bowl ??
and guys ,am sorry to that this electric is so uncomfortable,and just a show off piece of...
guys ,it is a frikin must that you control the instrument %100 ,and not miss %1 of control..
i remember that an oud student's project of graduation at the music acadimy in baghdad was a design of a SPECIAL seat 4 the oud player ,and she
had graduted with honor...
with respect
ghassan bashir
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wfspark
Oud Junkie
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Location: San Antonio Texas
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Playing oud while standing.
| Quote: | Originally posted by ghassan bashir
hi guys
this is not as easy as some of you guys think..and not practical period..
playing the oud profissionaly needs
alot of concentration,and a full control on the instrument..and from my expierence,i tell you that playing while standing makes you loose that control
and limits your both hands mobility,and could only play very simple notes so improfissionaly..
guys ,ther is a certain way to hold this instrument and play it ,and thats if you have the right bowl ??
and guys ,am sorry to that this electric is so uncomfortable,and just a show off piece of...
guys ,it is a frikin must that you control the instrument %100 ,and not miss %1 of control..
i remember that an oud student's project of graduation at the music acadimy in baghdad was a design of a SPECIAL seat 4 the oud player ,and she
had graduted with honor...
with respect
ghassan bashir
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Hello Mr. Bashir and
all. I've found the solution to the dextarity problem while standing and playing oud. You can use one of those classical guitar straps that hang
around your neck and goes around the classical guitar or oud in this case and hooks in the sound hole. On some classical guitar straps, the hook is
small enough to fit loosely in the spaces in the rosette. I do this with my oud, and I don't seem to have any problems. This is especially true
because I don't hook the strap in to the main rosette. I hook it in to the rosette just below the strings in front of the pick guard. It helps
you support the oud, and you can concentrate more on the playing. Let me know what you think.
William F. Sparks
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chuckerbutty
Oud Maniac
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Hi Will,
Isn't there a risk of damaging the rosette and even the soundboard? I wonder if any oud makers would be willing to install a small strap button
on the endclasp, that will solve this problem.
Personally though, I have never had the urge to play the oud standing up, but then again I'm just lazy!
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ghassan bashir
Oud Addict
Posts: 42
Registered: 4-9-2004
Location: lebanon
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Mood: 0ud player/sing
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william
hi bro
thanks for sharin this subject...
if there is a %1 possbility that the instrmnt is going to shake in your hand or changes it's postion while playin then 4get it..
william ,the oud has to be sarrounded with support from all directions especialy the bottom side ,which suppose to be supported by your right thigh...
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Zulkarnain
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 1-14-2004
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WOW! Does it go that FAR Ghassan???
Hmmm...maybe I should implement the method later tonite...hmm
Salam
**Better get some rubber burning tonite!
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wfspark
Oud Junkie
Posts: 166
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Location: San Antonio Texas
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Playing oud with strap
| Quote: | Originally posted by chuckerbutty
Hi Will,
Isn't there a risk of damaging the rosette and even the soundboard? I wonder if any oud makers would be willing to install a small strap button
on the endclasp, that will solve this problem.
Personally though, I have never had the urge to play the oud standing up, but then again I'm just lazy! |
Hello Chuckerbutty. I think in some cases you may do more damage by drilling a hole for a strap button in the back because of where
the ribs join. As for damaging the rosette, so long as you don't force the hook through the center of the rosette and the sound board is made of
a decent quality of wood, you should be fine.
William F. Sparks
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chuckerbutty
Oud Maniac
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Hi Will,
Most lute makers install strap buttons on their instruments.
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spyrosc
Oud Junkie
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Location: Northern California, USA
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Oud strap
William
Hooking a oud (guitar) strap to ANY rosette so you can play standing up is a TERRIBLE idea both structurally and sound wise!
Please don't recommend it to people. You've only been doing it for a week and you also don't have any idea how you sound with it.
Also saying that putting a button in the back will harm the bracing is false. There are no braces back there, just the butt end piece which is solid.
I don't know where you are getting your information.
Spyros C.
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Hank Levin
Oud Maniac
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Playing oud while standing
My teacher, Necati Çelik, whose technique is awesome to say the least, has suggested practicing standing occasionally to improve right-hand
technique. It has worked for me. I've seen him do it himself at rehearsals, but only for a few moments at a time--not actually standing, but
leaning back and supporting the instrument without resting it on the leg. It requires keeping the right wrist lower on the instrument than most people
are inclined to do when sitting--but he also plays like that normally.
If I play like that, then maintain the same relative position when I sit, I can move the mizrap a lot more freely and easily.
The real difficulty is dealing with the left hand. The oud neck has to rest just so on the joint of the left index finger, and if everything else is
perfect, it takes just the slightest back-pressure at that point to keep the oud from falling forward. It's hard; but if you figure out how to do
it, and then maintain that relative position when you sit, you find the left knee supports only the slightest pressure, and you're right shoulder
is no longer draped around the oud. The lower edge of the oud crosses the forearm about halfway between the elbow and the wrist. The mizrap plays
right over the scratch plate, about 4" from the bridge.
It's fairly easy as long as the left hand remains in one position. When it must change posititions, moving up and down the neck, or for
glissandos, it gets really tricky, but not impossible. Let's say that's an "advanced" ability.
This is ONLY a practice technique, for establishing and maintaining good position. It would be silly to perform like this, especially classical
music.
If you can put a hook in the sound-hole to support your oud, it must be built like a boat. A Turkish oud's face is often less than 1/16" at
the sound-hole. Lots of luck.
If you look at old Turkish miniatures, many of them protray oud or barbat players dancing while playing--and some of those were BIG instruments. I
think the right wrist was held MUCH lower than people do today on oud, much like they do now on Persian or Azerbajani tar.
--Hank
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wfspark
Oud Junkie
Posts: 166
Registered: 3-7-2004
Location: San Antonio Texas
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Mood: Oud entranced!
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Strap Buttons
| Quote: | Originally posted by spyrosc
William
Hooking a oud (guitar) strap to ANY rosette so you can play standing up is a TERRIBLE idea both structurally and sound wise!
Please don't recommend it to people. You've only been doing it for a week and you also don't have any idea how you sound with it.
Also saying that putting a button in the back will harm the bracing is false. There are no braces back there, just the butt end piece which is solid.
I don't know where you are getting your information.
Spyros C. |
Hello Spyros. I always thought that the back end was fragile, and not a lot of work could be done
back their because of the way the ribs are glued. I guess I was wrong. I guess if lute makers can put strap buttons on there instruments, then oud
makers can do it as well.
William F. Sparks
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wfspark
Oud Junkie
Posts: 166
Registered: 3-7-2004
Location: San Antonio Texas
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Mood: Oud entranced!
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Thickness of sound board.
| Quote: | Originally posted by wfspark
| Quote: | Originally posted by spyrosc
William
Hooking a oud (guitar) strap to ANY rosette so you can play standing up is a TERRIBLE idea both structurally and sound wise!
Please don't recommend it to people. You've only been doing it for a week and you also don't have any idea how you sound with it.
Also saying that putting a button in the back will harm the bracing is false. There are no braces back there, just the butt end piece which is solid.
I don't know where you are getting your information.
Spyros C. |
Hello Spyros. I always thought that the back end was fragile, and not a lot of work could be done
back their because of the way the ribs are glued. I guess I was wrong. I guess if lute makers can put strap buttons on there instruments, then oud
makers can do it as well.
William F. Sparks |
Hello all. Isn't the sound board of a Turkish oud about as thick as the ones on
flimenco guitars? And guys, I'm not trying to spiew faulse information. I'm just learning.
William F. Sparks
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billkilpatrick
Oud Junkie
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dear william -
i think 80% of the correspondence i had when i first got an oud was centered around this question of a strap. i made a harness out of leather thongs
which seemed to work for a while but it slipped when i was playing once and my oud hit the floor. it was ronny that first alerted me to this danger
and he was right. it's one of those nightmareish memories that still makes me wince.
forget the strap. the earlier advice which stated that standing improves your play is right. your posture improves, you hold your instrument more
securely, it projects a better sound, your right hand moves more fluidly and the recommended grip on the risha suddenly makes perfect sense. in
standing, the left hand takes a little getting used to - i admit (am i holding on to the oud or am i making notes?) - but even that assumes its proper
position after a while.
strange as it seems, in this case, everyone else out there is right.
kind regards - bill
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wfspark
Oud Junkie
Posts: 166
Registered: 3-7-2004
Location: San Antonio Texas
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Mood: Oud entranced!
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Playing oud standing.
| Quote: | Originally posted by billkilpatrick
dear william -
i think 80% of the correspondence i had when i first got an oud was centered around this question of a strap. i made a harness out of leather thongs
which seemed to work for a while but it slipped when i was playing once and my oud hit the floor. it was ronny that first alerted me to this danger
and he was right. it's one of those nightmareish memories that still makes me to wince.
forget the strap. the earlier advice which stated that standing improves your play is right. your posture improves, you hold your instrument more
securely, it projects a better sound, your right hand moves more fluidly and the recommended grip on the risha suddenly makes perfect sense. in
standing, the left hand takes a little getting used to - i admit (am i holding on to the oud or am i making notes?) - but even that assumes its proper
position after a while.
strange as it seems, in this case, everyone else out there is right.
kind regards - bill |
Hello Bill. Thanks. I see what you mean. I got a crash course on this matter from Haluk
just about 20 minutes ago, and I've since put down the strap and hold it normally. And to Spyros, I see what you mean as well. Thanks. This is a
learning process for all of us. Once again, thanks for the advice.
William F. Sparks
Ps By the way, what oud do you have Bill?
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