conroystoptime
Oud Maniac
Posts: 59
Registered: 2-22-2012
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Turkish Ouds, Middle Eastern Ouds
I thought a lot of you might have interesting views on this subject.
As I'm sure most would agree, there are many wonderful oud makers in Turkey as well as throughout the Middle East.
Do any of you feel that ouds made by Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, etc. luthiers are better suited to the musical tradition of those countries
than are Turkish ouds?
And vice versa, are there Turkish players (or players more inclined to the Turkish repertoire and tradition) who favor the specific qualities of ouds
made by Turkish luthiers?
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Franck
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 8-21-2007
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Yes, each oud is built for a specific tuning. The bracing and model are designed to enhance the tuning chosen. Furthermore, each musical tradition has
its preferences as far as sound goes. For my knowledge, Arabic ouds tend to be deeper voiced than Turkish ones (except the floating bridge Iraqui oud
which has a more treble sound). The style of playing also has something to do with the final result i.e. Turkish ouds have (most of the times) lower
actions than Arabic ones.
All that doesn't mean that you can't play any kind of musical styles on any given oud though, the goal (at least mine) is to play and have fun...
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oudtab
Oud Maniac
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Bonjour conroystoptime,
I've written few lines about ouds quality.
https://sites.google.com/site/oudguitare/generalities/oudquality
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conroystoptime
Oud Maniac
Posts: 59
Registered: 2-22-2012
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Thank you for the replies.
I've been playing an Iraqi oud for about a year. It's okay, but the bowl is a bit too large, and I've been shopping for an oud with better
craftsmanship, as well as a smaller bowl.
I have tried the following makers: Sukar, Shehata, Matta, Fadel, Haik, and very much enjoyed all of them.
Then I played a shorter-scale oud from Turkey, the first Turkish instrument I've played. Very, very nice also. I would describe the sound as a bit
more mid-rangey, with a bit more sustain than some of the others I've played.
This oud, as I said, was slightly shorter scale than most ouds, with a slightly shallower bowl also, which may account for the mid-range emphasis.
But again, it's the first Turkish oud I've played, so I'm not able to make any general observations yet.
Are others able to? Thanks...
(I've read some previous threads on this, including the ones listed in the FAQ, but they've seemed to concentrate more on issues of tuning/bracing
differences.)
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Bodhi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 168
Registered: 2-26-2012
Location: North West England
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Have you seen the Iranian Barbats? they are much smaller in size than the Arabic and Turkish ouds! They have a deep tone without lacking in treble.
Check out Hossein Behroozinia on you-tube. There are some of his tracks with slideshows and some live recordings in Morrocco that should give you an
idea! check out Mortys website http://www.orientalinstruments.com for details and http://www.mbw.ir for nice pics of them being made. I also felt that arab ouds were often too big and uncomfortable to hold (and I have rather
long arms and am quite tall). I however did prefer the sonority of the Arab ouds over the turkish ones I have played.
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
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A lot of new people come here wanting help in picking their first oud. The finish is important for people coming from say the guitar, where even
inexpensive instruments look good. They are discouraged by the lack of finesse in Arabic ouds at the low-middle price. It requires a significant jump
in price to get away from crooked nuts, pegs that seem made with flint tools, etc. Almost everyone starts out not wanting to spend a lot on an
instrument they have never played. Some vendors prey on the beginner, offering "professional" Arabic ouds below $500 that are unplayable.
The moderateley priced Turkish instruments seem better crafted. Is that an illusion? Should we be simply encouraging beginners to start with a Turkish
oud? Can anyone who has recently purchased an inexpensive Turkish oud please share their specific experiences, including the makers' names?
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conroystoptime
Oud Maniac
Posts: 59
Registered: 2-22-2012
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Thanks again for the replies.
My question, though, is really less "What's the best cheap oud for me to buy?" (I'm actually buying a mid-range oud as my second instrument) and more
"Do Arabic music oudists tend to favor Arabic-made ouds over Turkish ones? And if so, are there specific sound qualities that make the Turkish
constructions less suited to the playing of Arabic music?"
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MatthewW
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 11-5-2006
Location: right here
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I started out with a Turkish oud which I initially tuned Turkish, but after trying to play along to the 'learn how to play' clips in this website,
which are in C, I tuned down so I could play along. I got my first oud from that great soul Haluk Eryadin who passed away a few years ago. I believe
quite a few of us got our first or a second oud from him; his prices were the best in town and the quality always good.
I didn't know one maqam from another, or very much else oud-wise, but I took this lovely oud and started to practise and practise. I got my first oud
from Haluk because I couldn't afford one of the Arabic ouds I was looking at, and thought that $300 ( back then) for a good Turkish student oud would
be the best way to get started. My main oud now is by Nazih, 58.5 scale tuned Arabic.
I think Turkish ouds are very good place to start from, if by that you are referring to an oud made by a Turkish oudmaker, not just a shorter scale
oud eg 58.5 cm. You can always purhase an oud made an 'Arabic' oudmaker later if you want. Naseer Shamma has used a shorter scale oud (I believe 58.5)
and it never got in the way of his playing 'Arabic' musics.
Without getting too academic into all the minute differences in construction, tonal variances, vibrational frequencies, bracing, finished or
unfinished soundboards, etc found in Turkish and Arabic ouds, I think the main thing, the most important issue for a newbie is to just get started;
get your self a well made Turkish or Arabic oud, the best you can afford, get a set of the right strings on and start learning how to play the
instrument. Then see where you go.
As Franck mentions, if you want to play Arabic, then an oud made for Arabic music would be better, as is a Turkish oud for Turkish music. Whatever oud
you have get started on it, then follow your heart and go to where the music calls you.
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