Mike's Oud Forums

octave tuning

billkilpatrick - 3-5-2004 at 07:10 AM

there's an interesting item on the lute society list about the use of octave courses as opposed to those in unison.

does anyone know if at any time or in any culture, was the oud was ever played with octave courses?

salute - bill

TruePharaoh21 - 3-5-2004 at 08:58 AM

Bill, do you mean that one string is tuned an octave above/below it's paired string? If this is the case, then I have heard some Udi Hrant recordings where he uses this. I'm sure some people on the forums that have a lot of his stuff can tell you more. He only uses it on one pair, though. Perhaps you mean for all the pairs to be arranged in this fashion.

If that's not what you meant, please clarify. :D

TP21

octave tuning

billkilpatrick - 3-5-2004 at 10:26 AM

as i understand it, you are correct; one string is paired with another, eight places above or under its pair. the luties say the position and number of courses tuned this way varies with the amount of courses you have on your lute.

does anyone know if this is historically, a european invention which evolved with the lute and the music written for it in the west or did it arrive earlier with grandpa' oud from some earlier, eastern musical tradition?

ciao - bill

my charango has one such octave course (3rd) and the rest (5 courses in all) are in unison. i don't like it, especially when you play melody with a plectrum.

Octave tuning

wfspark - 3-9-2004 at 12:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by billkilpatrick
as i understand it, you are correct; one string is paired with another, eight places above or under its pair. the luties say the position and number of courses tuned this way varies with the amount of courses you have on your lute.

does anyone know if this is historically, a european invention which evolved with the lute and the music written for it in the west or did it arrive earlier with grandpa' oud from some earlier, eastern musical tradition?

ciao - bill

my charango has one such octave course (3rd) and the rest (5 courses in all) are in unison. i don't like it, especially when you play melody with a plectrum.
Hello Bill. I've seen an oud with twelve strings in six courses. The bass courses were tuned in octave pares. I believe it was a Turkish oud tuned to DADGAD from low to high. I only saw it once, and I don't know who the maker is. The idea of this tuning was brought about by the Spanish I believe. If you need to know more, I'll be here for a wile.

William F. Sparks

octave tuning

billkilpatrick - 3-9-2004 at 12:16 PM

dear sr. sparks -

a whole range of turkish instruments are tuned in octaves. my money is on the mystic east as the origin of this tuning. if the spanish used it i would suggest it arrived with the moors or shepardic jews.

if it did originate in the east, the more interesting question is did it go further east to indo-china and beyond?

and a pleasant evening to you - bill

Octave tuning

wfspark - 3-9-2004 at 04:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by billkilpatrick
dear sr. sparks -

a whole range of turkish instruments are tuned in octaves. my money is on the mystic east as the origin of this tuning. if the spanish used it i would suggest it arrived with the moors or shepardic jews.

if it did originate in the east, the more interesting question is did it go further east to indo-china and beyond?

and a pleasant evening to you - bill
Hello Bill. As far as I know the most east the octave tuning has ever gone is Iraq with the buzuk. I don't recall reading any articles or seeing instruments from Indo China with octave tuning.

William F. Sparks

David Parfitt - 3-10-2004 at 12:38 AM

Dear William

Forgive me for asking, but how can you see an instrument when you are completely blind?

David

Seeing.

wfspark - 3-10-2004 at 07:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David Parfitt
Dear William

Forgive me for asking, but how can you see an instrument when you are completely blind?

David
Hello David. When I say seeing, I mean touching, and hearing these instruments. Don't worry about that. It's just something that blind folk are used to saying.

William F. Sparks