jdowning
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A Question of String Length.
What is the maximum practical string length for an oud?
For a lute, string lengths go up to over 93 cm for six courses - but a lute is fretted so long string length of this order are more manageable (just
about) than they would be for an unfretted instrument like an oud.
To be more specific would a string length of 67.5 cm work for most oud players or would an oud of this size be physically impossible to play
(regardless of pitch standards)?
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Brian Prunka
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I don't think it would be impossible, but IMO this would be impractical.
For comparison, the longest standard string length on a guitar is 25.5in 64.77cm. People do play fretless guitars, bu at that point, it is already
becoming challenging to play in tune unless you have fairly large hands. Beyond that, certain techniques or ornaments would be impractical for
many.
Of course people play fretless basses up to 110cm, and Sarods are about 103cm but note that they require different techniques. Keep in mind that
much of normal oud playing occurs in the first 1/3 of the length, where differences will be magnified.
So you could play it, but I don't think it would be a simple transition for most.
I would say that 65cm is probably the maximum string length. Personally I would prefer that it be 63.5 or less.
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ALAMI
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The longest string length I've tried is 63cm, it is a Leon Stanbuli oud from the 1930s. I have no problem Playing it, I think that going up to 65
would be fine for me, but I do have large hands.
A floating bridge oud could be used to test playability by moving the bridge away (and lowering the pitch to avoid extreme tension), of course the
neck length won't be right but I think it is ok just to test playability.
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jdowning
Oud Junkie
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Thanks for your comments Brian and Mahmoud. That is pretty much what I expected.
The reason that I am asking is that having just completed a re-examination of the Farmer translations of the early Arabic and Persian texts that give
the dimensions and proportions of the mediaeval fretted oud - the string length equivalent of 67.5 cm consistently occurs. This is after making
corrections to what seem to be scribal errors in the original manuscripts, application of ancient standards of measurement - not to mention an
investigation into how early Arab and Persian seafarers navigated the Indian ocean! It is a long story that I will post on the forum at a future date
for information.
By the 14th C a more compact, shorter string length oud had made an appearance - possibly part of the reason being that the use of frets was then
becoming obsolete making the 'long' string length, narrow, almond shaped shaped style of oud more difficult to handle. It was this new oud design that
was to prevail and survives to this day whereas the ancient long string length oud remained with frets to be adopted by some early 16th C German lute
makers becoming a very successful lute design that remained in use for the next 250 years until the mid 18th C.
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jdowning
Oud Junkie
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Location: Ontario, Canada
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In 1979 I built an experimental lute, a reconstruction based upon a sound board fragment by renowned 16th C luthier Laux Maler - lute No. M.1.54 in
the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nurnberg. This is an interesting artifact because it still has traces of the original low bridge position. At the
time I assumed that the lute in its original condition had a neck long enough to accomodate eight frets so the lute ended up with a string length of
73 cm. Although I used the lute for many years, the string length is a bit too long for me as I am more comfortable with a 60 cm string length.
Following a recent review of the early oud geometries it is now apparent that the Maler lutes may have been based upon an oud described by 14th C Ibn
al-Tahhan as the geometry of the sound board is a perfect match. To complete the geometrical match, however, the neck needs to be shortened to
accomodate only 7 frets which results in a string length of
67.5 cm - exactly as predicted by the geometrical analysis.
I plan, therefore, to modify the instrument by shortening the neck accordingly - making some small adjustments to string spacing and action as well as
some minor refinishing. All pretty straightforward stuff.
The completed instrument can be set up for evaluation as either a mediaeval oud (with or without frets) as well as an early 16th C octave strung lute
(with frets) .
Here is the lute as it is today. The details of the design and modification will be covered as a new topic on the Oud Project Forum.
Now to clear the work bench and make preparation .....
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