Orahim1 - 9-30-2006 at 06:53 PM
I know, I know, you're going to say that an oud doesn't have frets and that tab for ouds would be next to impossible. But I checked out this site: http://www.iraqiart.com/music_center/index.htm
and they had two songs to practice using tabs. Of course, I can't hear the actual song, so I don't know if I'm playing it right. Would it be possible
for some talented person on this site to post some tablature and post a sound clip of the actual song the tab is for so I can practice, practice,
practice? It doesn't have to be a complicated song, just an easy taqsim would be nice. If anyone can do this, many thanks in advance!!!
excentrik - 10-8-2006 at 09:38 AM
uhhh.... I dont get it. It needs a specific tunning, and the finger positions are relative- or would be relative to the value of the note... It's not
a very "user freindly" methodology, is it...
anyone else?
tarik
Jason - 10-8-2006 at 04:23 PM
You hit the nail on the head as to why tab is fairly useless: "Of course, I can't hear the actual song, so I don't know if I'm playing it right"
I think you would be better off learning how to read music
jdowning - 10-17-2006 at 11:53 AM
Tablature for the lute was invented during the 15th century and came into general use for fretted stringed instruments from the start of the 16th
century when a method for printing tablature was devised and is still very much in use today by folk guitarists and fiddle players. Tablature was also
used for keyboard and wind instruments.
Lute tablature essentially tells the player the tuning of the strings (if a 'non standard' tuning is required), where to place the fingers on the
fretboard, gives an indication of note duration and the sequence by which fingers of the right hand pluck the strings. Instrument pitch is never
specified by the tablature unless two or more lutes are to play in consort. Most music published for lute (past and present) is in tablature form and
lutenists must be able to read this notation. It is a very practical notation that has stood the test of time and as it is now used by folk violinists
there should be no reason why it cannot also be of practical use for the oud player (fiddles, of course are fretless like the oud of modern times). I
imagine that oud tablature might be of particular benefit for a beginning player who has yet to learn the greater complexities of staff notation.
It might even be practical to temporarily fret an oud (with tied on frets like a lute) so that the beginner might better learn the melodic line first?
Just for general information, there are three basic kinds of lute tablature - German, Italian and French - German being the earliest and most complex.
Italian and French are essentially the same in concept - the horizontal lines representing the strings of the lute either from bass to treble (French)
or treble to bass (Italian) with either letters or numbers representing the fret positions. Note duration is represented by 'flags' above the lines
working essentially in much the same way as quavers, semiquavers etc in staff notation. Here is a short prelude for lute from 1536 in Italian
tablature. Note that the flags are not always written out in full but only change at the end of a sequence of notes of the same duration. It looks
complicated but is easy to learn.
John