Cittern Boy - 7-10-2011 at 03:41 PM
Hi all!
I have very recently acquired a secondhand Oud from ebay, after wanting one for a number of years. I am a Cittern and Mandolin player and I made the
mistake of thinking that the Oud could be tuned in fifths after seeing Oud strings advertised as G,D,A,E,B,F# which is almost the same. However I have
since realised that I was reading this the wrong way around and that this is high to low not low to high. 
However I am not going to give up. I know that Fifths tuning will not be possible, so I have trying to establish what
type of strings I need for standard tuning and having looked at the many gauges and tunings of Arabian and Turkish Ouds and I am getting more and more
confused!
The Oud I have purchased is not an expensive one but I hope it will be good enough to start on. It is a Bahraini with a bridge to nutt measurement of
61cm and a neck length of 20cm. I assume that I cannot Turkish tune this instrument for risk of excess tension, however having read string
information from suppliers I am not now even sure of this.
I would be very grateful if anyone could be kind enough to offer me some advice with respect to this. I have always loved the sound of the Oud and I
would really like to have a try at playing.
Many Thanks
MatthewW - 7-11-2011 at 05:02 AM
C-Boy, I would be hesitant to tune that 61cm scale oud up to Turkish, in case of too much tension. Try tuning to some form of 'Arabic or Iraqi' tuning
for starts, and see what works for you.
There are many tunings, some common tunings used are, from low to high-
C-FF-AA-dd-gg-cc
C-GG-AA-dd-gg-cc
C-EE-AA-dd-gg-cc
D-GG-AA-dd-gg-cc
F-AA-DD-gg-cc-ff, which won't give you a Turkish tuning but will give you a high FF on top, higher than the CCs.
Get the right tension, a good source for strings and excellent information is Brian at:
http://www.oudstrings.com/index.php
good luck- MW
Cittern Boy - 7-11-2011 at 08:20 AM
Thanks for that MW,
The link is great. So many strings to chose from. I think I will go for the tuning you mention with the high F and get the LaBella set for the Arabic
Oud. I am sure I will get used to the tuning. I purchased a copy of the Marina Toshich book "The Basics Of Oud" yesterday which is excellent, but it
has made me realise I have a lot more to learn than just tuning (I had never came across a Half flat note before!) and so many new scales and modes.
But I am totally addicted to music and I think the acquisition of this Oud has opened up a whole new area for me to explore and I am really looking
forward to getting started.
Many thanks for you help. And what a great site.
ameer - 7-12-2011 at 08:57 AM
You could also build a custom set of strings using the dadarios on the site for turkish tuning.
Kelly - 7-12-2011 at 12:45 PM
Hi C-Boy dont worry about change in string intervals you'll soon get used to it. I also play fiddle and bouzouki combination of 5th/4ths without too
much problems when changing to oud CFAdgc tuning.
Yes there's alot to learn but thats half the fun plus all the guys on this forum are great for help and support. If you are anywhere near Manchester
drop us a line as we meet up fairly regularly. There's also quite an active network in London too.
Have fun and enjoy you music
francis - 7-12-2011 at 02:43 PM
What are you mainly playing on the cittern, Cittern Boy.......?
Everything is different between cittern and oud, but this other world really worth to be discover.....
Cittern Boy - 7-15-2011 at 02:31 PM
Hi All, Thanks for your replies,
You are right about the difference between these two instruments. I mainly flat pick Celtic stuff on the Cittern, but I am starting to get into
fingerpicking it as well, as this instrument has such a lovely sound. I play with a couple of groups that get together on a regular basis in London. I
started on the mandolin which I also still play a lot.
I first became aware of the Oud from Loreena McKennitt's music and later from Anouar Brahem, and very recently Azam Ali. I think it has an excellent
sad sound to it, which I really like.
Regarding forfths, instead of fifths, you are right, I am sure I will get used to it. I was just a little concerned about confusing my small brain,
but I do manage a partial Modal tuning on the Cittern.
I am a bit too far from Manchester, but I will look into the London groups. Regarding custom strings I may look into this once I have learnt a bit
more. I did intend to play the Oud as I play Cittern and Mandolin, but now I want to learn more about the traditional way it is played and try to do
it properly.
Thanks Everyone For Your Kind Help.