Mike's Oud Forums

bracing the face

oudplayer - 12-20-2006 at 03:22 PM

hey all

can someone please explain to me the whole thing of bracing.
i see alot of people do it differantly.
jameel makes lil pyarmids and i saw a few other guys just put regular wood in it ect.

is there a secret behind what u make it or how think ect i would love toknow for a lil project.
thx sammy

Oud Bracing

farukturunz - 12-21-2006 at 04:59 AM

Hi Sammy,

Braces are both reinforcing elements and acoustic objects which determine the basic characteristics of vibration of the soundboard. The vibration of a brace acts as a formulating master on the vibration pattern of the soundboard. If the shape of the cross section of a brace changes then its vibration pattern also changes. Every brace has a specific fundamental frequency. It is possible to change the composition of the overtones of the vibration data of a brace without changing the fundamental frequency of it, by changing the shape of the cross section it has. There is no “best” shape for this cross section. The desired tonality is a matter of personal taste, with the options ranging from a sound rich in overtones to a cleaner, more direct tone.

It is of course not only bracing which determines an oud’s tone. The positioning of the braces and other parameters such as grain characteristics, the stiffness of the soundboard, and the specific timber of the wood used are also crucial in determining the sound quality of an oud. It is not possible to consider the sound of an oud independent from all of its physical features, such as the wood used for the body and the overall thickness of it.

Hosam - 12-21-2006 at 03:55 PM

Master Faruk, do you tap tune the top to a certain note/frequency? What are the tools used and the process? What are the alternative methods for voicing the top?

oudplayer - 12-24-2006 at 06:55 AM

hey faruk
THx for the info it helped alot. does it matter what i do for a electric oud or i should follow the a other prosess like jammel ro soemthign like that.
thx sammy