fhalaw
Oud Junkie
Posts: 144
Registered: 7-9-2009
Location: Montreal, Qc
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
fingering techniques
Hello,
Small questions, I just want to see how many people play in this way.
But I was taught by one guy in lebanon to play Mi, Mi semitones and quartertones all with the first finger, same thing for la.. etc
I know most people play by hitting Mi with the middle finger. His theory was that when the three fingers are squeezed together if you play mi with the
first it gives the exact distance for the fa with the third..
I dont really have any major deficiencies with my technique (in my opinion at least) and can switch easily for tricky la bimol/to la with the first
and second finger respectively, but just wanted to see people's take on this.
Cheers,
Fadi
|
|
|
Reda Aouad
Oud Junkie
Posts: 553
Registered: 1-2-2009
Location: Lebanon
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Hi Fadi.
I never played the first half-flat semitones with the second finger. I would imagine it would be harder. I find it very convenient to play the Mi
half-flat with the first finger, and the Fa with the third.
As for the second half-flat semitones, they can be played with any finger, according to the hand position and the ornamentation you need to do.
|
|
|
MatthewW
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1031
Registered: 11-5-2006
Location: right here
Member Is Offline
Mood: Al Salam
|
|
hi Fadi- I think to some degree choice of fingering depends on the individual and his/her technique. Leon recently posted an interesting interview
with Richard Hagopian and he mentions something about just using his first and third fingers! I think whatever works for you and gives you the result-
go for it.
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=9407#pid625...
scroll down for the interview.
(just viewed it again, first third and fourth fingers...)
|
|
|
Reda Aouad
Oud Junkie
Posts: 553
Registered: 1-2-2009
Location: Lebanon
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Matthew.. "Whatever works for you - go for it".. right but to some extent.
There is also a guy who posted a video on youtube showing off, playing with only the first finger. Would that be acceptable? There are some basic
rules that you cannot ignore or twist. You must use all four fingers for best speed and ornamentation. And if Richard Hagopian uses only the first and
third fingers, then in my opinion he doesn't deserver the title of oud player. There are techniques and ornamentations that are impossible with only
two fingers, not mentioning the speed of jumping between notes and positions. For me, that's totally unacceptable in the professional world. It's the
same as using guitar picks for example to pluck the oud strings, or having mechanical tuning heads instead of the original wood pegs, etc... This is
the bad effect of modernisation. The oud is a sacred instrument and its legacy must me preserved. Otherwise, just play a fretless guitar. But don't
mess up with the oud! That doesn't mean that I'm against experimentation and development, but some things must remain untouchable, which uniquely
characterize the oud and give it its personality.
As for Fadi's question, I didn't say that I'm against what he is proposing in that particular case. It's just how he feels about it, and the degree to
which he is comfortable with doing it that matters.. again only in this particular case.
|
|
|
MatthewW
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1031
Registered: 11-5-2006
Location: right here
Member Is Offline
Mood: Al Salam
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by Reda Aouad  | Matthew.. "Whatever works for you - go for it".. right but to some extent.
There is also a guy who posted a video on youtube showing off, playing with only the first finger. Would that be acceptable?
Hi Reda- depends on the finger!
|
|
|
|
Sazi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 786
Registered: 9-17-2007
Location: Behind my oud
Member Is Offline
Mood: مبتهج ; ))
|
|
Richard Hagopian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b53p0e5KksQ
|
|
|
Ararat66
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1025
Registered: 11-14-2005
Location: Portsmouth, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow yellow
|
|
Hard for me to not think of Richard Hagopian as anything but a first rate oud player !!!!! I'd swap his three fingers for my four any day ... I bet
he can't tap dance ... btw nor can I
Leon
|
|
|
luan
Oud Junkie
Posts: 159
Registered: 11-25-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Reda Aouad | Matthew.. "Whatever works for you - go for it".. right but to some extent.
There is also a guy who posted a video on youtube showing off, playing with only the first finger. Would that be acceptable? There are some basic
rules that you cannot ignore or twist. You must use all four fingers for best speed and ornamentation. And if Richard Hagopian uses only the first and
third fingers, then in my opinion he doesn't deserver the title of oud player. There are techniques and ornamentations that are impossible with only
two fingers, not mentioning the speed of jumping between notes and positions. For me, that's totally unacceptable in the professional world. It's the
same as using guitar picks for example to pluck the oud strings, or having mechanical tuning heads instead of the original wood pegs, etc... This is
the bad effect of modernisation. The oud is a sacred instrument and its legacy must me preserved. Otherwise, just play a fretless guitar. But don't
mess up with the oud! That doesn't mean that I'm against experimentation and development, but some things must remain untouchable, which uniquely
characterize the oud and give it its personality.
As for Fadi's question, I didn't say that I'm against what he is proposing in that particular case. It's just how he feels about it, and the degree to
which he is comfortable with doing it that matters.. again only in this particular case. |
Lol
You are a little bit reactionary, aren't you?
|
|
|
fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
Member Is Offline
Mood: m'Oudy
|
|
Can I ask, Reda, since the oud is a sacred instrument, would you say that it's OK to be using 6 double courses on the oud, isn't that unacceptable,
when we read in Al Farabi that the oud normally has 4 single strings? Some changes work well, some do not. But I think that you just like the
modernisations that suit you, and you call that traditional, when in fact it's changing all the time.
And is it incorrect for cripples to play the oud? You know, like men injured in war, who have lost an arm. Is it OK for them to play oud, the way Mr
Shamma teaches? How about those who have a broken or weak finger, or two, or three? Can they play the oud without it being "unacceptable"? And what
about the unfortunates who have not learned all the maqamat and who play their 5 tone African music on the oud? or those who play their local music
only in Ajam and Nahawand, calling it "major" and "minor", is it disrespectful?
I think of Django Reinhardt, who invented jazz guitar and brought the guitar to new levels of recognition with a different approach, and only had two
working fingers to use. I can't imagine a true master of the guitar saying he shouldn't play that way. Do you believe that imitation is more
professional than originality? The oud is a sacred instrument: what is more sacred than bringing all those who love it closer together, not further
apart? Can you appreciate that many of us here have become friends of Middle Eastern people through this? There surely doesn't have to be just one way
to play it.
|
|
|
luan
Oud Junkie
Posts: 159
Registered: 11-25-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Fallacies...
I don't care how they play their oud.. hell, they could do it with their mouth if they wanted to, as long as I like the tone and the music : )
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbprobrown/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
