The microtonal melodies of the Oud

[ControlledChaos]

The Oud is a string instrument from the middle east. Said to be a forerunner of the guitar and lute, this instrument contains no frets, meaning the player has freedom to play any tone they want, unlike fretted instruments (like the modern guitar) which locks it into certain tones. This is advantageous in the context of Arabic music, because it uses tones not present in the western tonal system. This is why this music sounds so different.

In my last post here I spoke about the music of JS Bach, which uses several layers of musical lines to create a cohesive whole. This music uses the opposite approach, employing a singular melody. What it lacks in several music lines, it makes in for in the complexities of the melody at hand. While Bach invokes the sublime through a well oiled machine of moving parts, this music invokes the sublime by way of the weaver, moving to and fro about the notes and sounds, back and forth upon itself in complex patterns in one continuous stream of melody. As your you listen you are drawn further and further into the sound and into your own mind.

Here's a couple great videos of Our performances:

Shout out to user Dasein whose comments on my Bach thread inspired me to investigate Arabic music. It's been a good journey.

 

[pointy hat]

Sandy Bull is my go-to for oddities in Oud. here's one of my favorite Oud jams:

maybe a little unconventional, but lovely nonetheless!

 

[The Sofa Traveler]

Love the oud's sound ! As this thread is well on the way to be an oud sounds collection thread, I would share this video from Sam Shalabi (سام شلبي.) Cheerz !

[youtube]

 

[Voidmatrix]

Thank you for sharing.

I find microtonal music and the microtonal series fascinating. It's an odd experience of space and time from a tonal perspective in that the music is played and observed through the structure of cents rather than whole tones.

And I agree with regard to Bach in regard to the structural complexity inherent to his fugues and cannons, one of which creates an interesting tonal Mobius Strip and musical palindrome.

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