TUNING THE OUD

Here is a step-by-step approach which you may want to follow, even if you will probably require assistance from your teacher the first times. For each pair of strings, you must first tune one string, and then move to the second one. In order to pick only one string, you can use the fingernail of your thumb, or your risha. Do not pick it loud, otherwise the string will have a wide vibration, it will touch its pair and both strings will vibrate. 1. Let's start with LA, the 2nd string. First identify its peg, which should be the 5th peg below. The reason you generally start from LA in tuning your Oud is that, if you don't have a tuner, you can find a LA easily from other instruments or from a tuning fork. If you use a tuner, the LA may be spelled with the English letter A. Pegs sometimes are a bit hard to turn. Make sure e that the string has not rolled until the edge, otherwise its friction may make it very hard to turn the peg. Some other times, the wooden peg is just hard, in which case you can make it smoother with some soft chalk or graphite in the areas where it touches the wood. But you will have to remove the string and take it out. You will notice that you have much more control on changing the tuning when lowering the string in pitch and pulling it gradually, turning the peg anti-clockwise. 2. Once your first LA is tuned, you can tune its pair, which is normally attached to the 5th peg above. Strike both strings with the risha, and try to get them to play in unison. It is usually easier to tune from below (in pitch) coming up, so loosen up the string a bit (turning the peg clock-wise) and then pull it until it sounds in tune with its pair. When two strings are vibrating and they are not exactly in unison, a fluctuation in volume can be heard, and the frequency of the fluctuation gets lower as the two sounds gets closer in unison. In acoustics, this is known as beats. As you pull the second string closer to the first one, you should hear these fluctuations and make them disappear when the two strings are in perfect unison. Now it's time for the next string, RE (3rd string) Again start with a single string, in this case the RE attached to the 4th peg below. Try not to rely on the tuner, and develop a good understanding of the interval between the LA and the RE (called "fourth"). So play the LA (both strings) and the top single string of the RE. Try to figure out if it is lower ("flat"), higher ("sharp") or consonant. If you find it difficult to detect its tuning, use a tuner. Please remember that RE may be spelled with the English letter D. Once it is tuned, play again the LA (both strings) and the RE you just tuned, so that you can memorize the interval between the two. 3. Then you can tune its pair, again striking both strings with the risha, trying to get them to play in unison. The peg for the second RE should be the 3rd peg below. 4. Repeat the same approach with SOL (4th string), 4th and 3rd peg above. At first try to do it by ear, otherwise use a tuner. First one string, then its pair. SOL may be spelled with the English letter G. 5. Then DO (5th string), 2nd and 1st peg above. DO may be spelled with the English letter C. 6. Then FA (6th string), 2nd and 1st peg below. FA may be spelled with the English letter F. 7. Once you have tuned the high FA (6th string), you can tune the low FA (1st string), which should be attached to the 6th peg above. Play the high FA, both strings, and the single FA. Their interval its two octaves, so you should be able to feel it consonant by ear. If you find it difficult, again use a tuner. FA may be spelled with the English letter F.