D'Addario Set
& single strings

String Calculators:

Arto's String Calculator
-Java-based website-

Stretching in new strings for quick stable intonation.

Ordinarily strings take some time to stretch in and come to a stable pitch. Pull the string sideways across the face of the oud a bit and retune. After twelve or so times, the string will be stretched in and hold its pitch. Video Demo.

Manufacturers may offer several different sets classified by tension or tuning or scale length or a combination of these factors, sometimes throwing in misleading terms that tend to confuse more than explain. Or they may offer as little one set. But it's really a "best-compromise" on their part, and understandably so given the great variations between ouds. Depending on your instrument and your own demands and tastes, these sets may be just right. Sometimes however, they are indeed a compromise. Read on for specific information about tunings, scale length, tension and materials.

As regards strings, the differences between Arabic and Turkish-style ouds can be be very confusing. Both styles can share the same scale length, soundboard thickness, soundboard response and playability. Basically, the only single factor differentiating Turkish ouds and the Arabic variety is the fact that Turkish ouds are tuned one whole step above Arabic ouds. The tuning patterns are the generally same (mainly 4ths--see below).

Tuning patterns vary from person to person, and according to maqam (musical mode or scale). Courses are always tuned in 4ths, with the lowest two courses tuned according to maqam and personal taste (not necesarily in 4ths, although some Turkish-style players are tuning their entire oud in 4ths.). These two courses are often tuned up or down one whole step depending on maqam. This poses a bit of a problem for pre-made sets, since the tension on these lower two courses must be set to perform well across the whole-step tuning variation. Generally, I'm of the opinion that it is better to choose the tension of these two courses based on the tuning used most frequently, then split the difference. This should give satisfactory results for custom sets. For pre-made sets, it's generally better to choose based on the lower tuning, so the tension will increase rather than decrease when changing the tuning.

As I mentioned before, scale length varies greatly from oud to oud. Turkish ouds generally hover around 585mm, Arabic ouds around 610mm. Having said that, there are Arabic ouds with 585mm scales all the way up to 630mm with everything in between. Turkish ouds tend to be more consistent.

Tension is measured in kilograms, pounds or newtons. Kilograms and newtons are the most common. Without getting into some serious mental gymnastics, a good way to convert between kilograms and newtons (and definitely good enough for calculating oud strings) is to simply move the decimal point one place to the right. So 3.4kg would equal 34 newtons.

Tension is a very personal issue. Playing style and genre also plays a huge role. Someone playing classical repertoire or folk melodies in a group setting may prefer a looser tension for a more warm, personal sound. A soloist using a bright-sounding oud for improvisational use may choose a higher tension for a more projecting, percussive sound. Individual ouds may also perform better with a certain tension. Again, it's mostly a matter of taste. In general, low tension begins at around 3.0 kg and high tension ends at around 4.5kg. A general "standard" tension would be around 3.5kg.

--Some useful figures to keep in mind--

For a given scale length and tuning:

· Increasing string diameter (gauge) will increase the tension, decreasing the diameter will lower tension.
· Tuning up or down one whole step will change the tension by ~.8kg.

NOTE: This is especially important to know, since tuning up all courses 1 whole step (e.g: trying out Turkish tuning on a normally Arabic-tuned oud) could possibly damage your instrument due to the great increase in tension. It's best to lower the overall string gauges when tuning up a whole step. On the other hand, if you are tuning down 1 whole step, the tension will be greatly decreased, resulting in a drastic sound change (not necessarily for the worse), or possibly rendering the strings too loose for good playability.

· For every 1cm change in scale length (at the same tuning) the tension will change by ~.13kg.

Nylon
The most common material for the highest (treble) courses. Sometimes used for the third course. Most often transparent, but also available in black or red. Plain nylon is often glossy in appearance, whereas rectified nylon is finished to a matte sheen for increased grip when plucking with the fingers (as in classical guitar or lute). Either is used for oud.

Nylon Multifilament (floss) Silver wound
Used for the lower courses

PVF (fluorocarbon)
Plain, unwound strings that have a higher density than nylon. At the same tuning and scale, PVF strings will be thinner gauge and brighter sounding than their nylon conterpart.

Nylgut
A sythetic "gut" material, milky-white in appearance. Also denser than nylon, but with a warm sweet sound. Used for the two upper courses. Made exclusively by Aquilacorde.

Nylgut multifilament Silver and Copper wound
Used for the lower courses, wound with either silver or copper wire. Made exclusively by Aquilacorde.