amtaha
Oud Junkie
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why do strings come in pairs?
Actually, two strings-related questions ..
One, is there a reason behind pairing strings? Can one do with single strings?
Two, while I know that there are ouds with mechanical pegs, why isn't it picking up? I understand that pegs in violins (and their relatives) are the
same as in traditional ouds, but what is the main objection against mechanical pegs? Is it technical? philosophical? chauvinistic? 
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revaldo29
Oud Junkie
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From what i've read, the reason why mechanical tuning pegs haven't picked up so much on the oud is that they are heavy and throw off the balance of
the oud. I personally think they look bad. Oud is a very aesthetically pleasing instrument.
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amtaha
Oud Junkie
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| Quote: | Originally posted by revaldo29
... I personally think they look bad. Oud is a very aesthetically pleasing instrument. |
But aesthetics is a subjective thing. I'd imagine (but wouldn't know) that if a proper investment of though was made, mechanical pegs can be light and
achieve an aesthetic quality.
Perhaps because I'm still beginning, I'm having my own frustrations and discoveries with pegs. I understand that good pegs in a good oud should behave
just as well as a mechanical peg. But, at least for beginners, pegs assume much of the time. I'm comparing this against guitars where tuning is such a
minor thing, even for newbies.
So you can say that this is a matter of justifying faith. I'm wondering whether pegs are worth all the trouble. :-)
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Microber
Oud Junkie
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I completely agree with you Amtaha.
I also "come from" the world of the guitar where tuning is more easy.
I find that oud with mechanical guitar pegs are not so nice.
But is it impossible to build nice mechanical pegs ?
And why not a system of fine tuning on the bridge ?
I think it exists on the violin.
Robert
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SamirCanada
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Iam sorry... I have to disagree with you. When you wonder if pegs are worth the trouble.. to that I have to say that good pegs are no trouble at all.
All aestethics asside I have once heard a oud with mechanical tuners and in my opinion it sounds "too perfect" wich makes it sound like a guitar with
a deep back basicaly.
From your first post I take it that you have a hard time tuning the strings in pair. Well it takes time to learn how to tune them properly but It
takes even more time if you have bad pegs.
A little trick if you want them to sound even is that when you bring the first string to the note. lets say you turn the peg to raise the tension then
the with second peg you should reach the note raising the tension. If you go past the note and lower the tension to reach the note then it might seem
like there tuned but one will be a little more streched and they wont sound ballanced so a good trick is to reach the note the same way for both pegs
if you lower the tension to reach the note with one peg you do the same with the other peg.
But dont use one string... then your not playing 3oud. And you cant use the tremolo.
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revaldo29
Oud Junkie
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I agree with you guys that tuning on beginner ouds is a pain in the neck. Samir has some great techniques. Once you upgrade to a better oud, tuning is
no longer a problem.
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John Erlich
Oud Junkie
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I tried out an oud with mechanical tuning pegs at Maurice Farouk Shehata's shop (Al-Aseel) in Cairo in 2000. In my opinion, the oud was terribly
unbalanced by the weight of the mechanical pegs and quite ugly (the angle of the pegboard had to be modified). Anyway, properly made friction pegs
should not have a slipping problem--those on my Shehata oud I bought that date seem to hold tune for months.
Just my thoughts on this...
Best,
John
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amtaha
Oud Junkie
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First off, I must thank you for the time and thought put into the replies.
Yes, I remember the instruction of "always tuning up to the note, never tuning down". I think it also had something to do with the peg possibly
slipping back to a lower note. That said, I haven't exercised this with oud. I'd imagine it would make things better.
I'm eager now to put my hands on a decent oud. My beginner's oud has quite a good sound. For the pegs, I played around with them - softening some,
harshening others, and switching .. and it's getting there.
But what of pairing of the strings? Samir, would you elaborate on why is the pairing necessary for tremolos in oud?
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SamirCanada
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Well the oud has double courses for that reason.
You could do the tremolo on a single string but it wouldnt be as effective. Thats a feature of the oud. If you take it away... your not playing oud
anymore. I mean there's nobody who is going to stop you from doing that but if you want to learn and play oud you have to set it up properly.
For the tuning. You can tune up or down onto a note as long as you do the same for the other peg to help balance the sound. Its just a trick I find
helps.
Also when you tune your strings up. And your nut is not properly made then your note can jump in an instant in the middle of playing.
There is always a risk for your pegs to slip. When you tune make shure you suport the pegbox and with your hand and with the other hand you push down
on the peg to make it bite a little more. (thats for lower quality pegs)
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amtaha
Oud Junkie
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Thanks, Samir, for the clarification and advice ...
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Stretch
Oud Lover
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I've played lutes for years and oud for three or four years. There is a definite reason why ouds have double courses: it sounds different than single
courses. Pretty obvious, I suppose, but often overlooked. There is an aesthetic reason for it to be the way it is. You might as well say why should a
12-string guitar not just have six strings. Well, it would be a six-string guitar and would sound different. It's all in the sound.
Players coming to the oud from guitar often ask these questions - single strings and tuning machines - my advice, for what it is worth, is to spend
more time tuning into the particular qualities of the oud than you spend trying to 'improve' the instrument.
It has been around for centuries with only slight modifications. There is a reason for that. Once it 'clicks', you will love it for what it is.
Stretch
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Mascun
Oud Maniac
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It took me a while to get used to the order in which the strings are attached to the pegs. In the beginning, I attached my strings as I would have for
a renaissance lute or a guitar, but Samir Joubran, with whom I took a masterclass in south France last summer, explained the proper way of doing it,
that is (if you you hold the oud upright in front of you) on the right side, going upwards : cc-AA-G and on the left side : gg-dd-G-D. Once you grasp
the logic of it, it's very exciting, philosophically, because it demonstrates that different kinds of logic can coexist !
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Elie Riachi
Oud Junkie
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Why do strings come in pairs?
Does anyone remember the old commercial: Double your pleasure with double mint gum . One reason would be to make it louder.
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