Jason - 9-25-2008 at 06:37 PM
How do you guys feel about things like chords on the oud and polyphony in oud music?
For me, when it comes to listening to music the very traditional old school Arabic style of oud playing appeals to me more than anything. It seems to
be in the spirit of the instrument, if that makes sense.
On the other hand I think innovation is good for the oud. In America the oud is usually viewed as an ethnic instrument incapable of being a viable
voice in anything other than an experimental or ethnic capacity. Who's to say it can't be more?
I often wonder what some of the masters in the middle east thought the first time they saw someone playing a taqsim on violin. What may have seemed
out of place then is commonly accepted today.
To be fair I think there have been a lot of very horrible attempts at using the oud in uncommon genres. I'm certainly not suggesting we all start
playing rock n roll or something. To make a parallel with a western instrument I think the oud could be viewed in the same light as the classical
guitar. Certainly, spanish and flamenco music are where the guitar truly lives but romantic, 20th c., atonal, etc. are routinely played on the
guitar.
I think there are some pretty complicated cultural reasons why a lot of people don't want the oud to exist outside of arabic music. As an outsider
looking in I will probably never necessarily feel that way but I have experienced the same feelings in regard to bluegrass and, to some extent, jazz
music.
I think this topic has probably come up before but now all the new folks can chime in... and hopefully not try to sell me anything 
Oud987 - 9-25-2008 at 08:12 PM
Hi,
This very topic reminded me of something that happened to me the other day!
On a Vihuela mailing list I was on, (Vihuela being an early Guitar like instrument from Spain) I put up a video on YouTube demonstrating a tuning and
a style I had come up with in the tuning of E A E F A E for my Classical Guitar. I was shot down and condemed for it, told I was "destroying
tradition"... so I suppose it's all in the way you look at how instruments change! 
katakofka - 9-26-2008 at 12:33 AM
Hey Jason
I've been practicing with a Jazz group here in DC playing mainly Django Reinhardt music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a64uyOUw_A
This kind of music even thought it's jazzy but the main theme is always a lovely melody. For me, oud can fit anywhere when there is a nice melody to
be played.
Donjis3 - 9-28-2008 at 09:00 PM
Hello jason!
I'm very new with ouds!
Basicaly the key word for me is CRÉATIVITY...And in it's globalisation of issues ...there is a great need of creativity in this world...Evreything
is (for me) a créative potentiality that gets enhance even and espacialy in adversity..or polarity..for instance the fretted insturments being
fretted are limited buy their very structural nature while most of the non fretted ones are limitless ... and being so enhance(micros tons) wolrdwide
émancipation of creatiivity musicaly speaking ...music is a beyond words medium that speaks from souls to souls..and induce states of consciousness
...being basicaly organised noises..it is by nature limitless..being so exclusion is very commun when one feel insécure when loving power while
others feels empowerd in loving...even in adversity..Now to all the purists traditionalyts I'm very greatfull cause you are the gardians of my most
pure travelings throught time, space, and conditions...to the créators of the new ways I'm greatfull as well..for ehnacing créativity...All has to
feel globaly included with respects...I'm dreaming of instruments that any menbers of any cultures could mostly instanteniusly feel at home to play..
A good link that express that and to witch I have no relation what so ever with and that I salute thy créativity is here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI6HbTzWQVU...thanks to you jason caus you've pin point with this tresd mydeepest concerns'gratfull,Don!
Donjis3 - 9-28-2008 at 09:06 PM
oups! I'm learning this as well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI6HbTzWQVU