Add the oud as instrument
Following this thread (and the recent last comment), https://musescore.org/en/node/139241, I believe it would be appropriate to add the oud to the list of instruments.
Of course, the large number of possible tunings (more than a dozen) and, as a corollary, the lack of a standardized tuning, is a constraint.
Nevertheless, this is not, should not be a sufficient reason to deprive this instrument, played anywhere in the world, of any display in MuseScore.
To each one, then, to personalize the tuning, according to its instrument ; but at least, there will be a visibility, an important starting point.
I looked at several sources.
This source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stringed_instrument_tunings#O which indicates that the most common tuning is: C2/F2/A2/D3/G3/C4
This one: http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/middle_east.htm : D2/G2/A2/D3/G3/C4
And the third : ditto: http://www.stringedinstrumentdatabase.comoj.com/n.htm
On the Spanish wiki page: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/La%C3%BAd_%C3%A1rabe, the first one is mentioned as the most common.
On the Frenck wiki page: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oud, it’s the second one !
And on the English wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oud this point is not mentioned.
At least, we can observe a common point for the four first strings (bass to treble : A2/D3/G3/C4.
Not an absolute rule, but a good start.
So, for the two other strings, at one point, we have to put an end to the debate, and choose.
I propose the first one, ie: C2/F2/A2/D3/G3/C4
(for the reason that I observe in the dozen and more tunings as I mentioned above: often the top string and the lower string have the same note, eg: C2/C4. Again not a rule – mine is different!- but a bit more observed)
On Sibelius (7.5), it’s another thing/choice (in fact : it's one among some other Turkish tunings), but the top string and the lower string are the same (two D).
Comments
How many frets?
Fretless instrument. Usually, so, the standard notation is used.
The display of Tabs is therefore a bit unexpected, but I note that Sibelius, and TablEdit also, allow this. I imagine for convenience of reading some users. Knowing that there is no question of frets but of positions.
The fingerboard allows more or less to obtain an octave and a quarte interval (so, more or less 14/15 "positions").
From looking at pictures of ouds, I don't see any frets like there are on guitars. Perhaps a better question would by how many notes are typically able to be played on a string, especially since there are such a variety of ouds. When writing for an oud, the composer could adjust the fret count just as he can string tunings, which will apparently be common.
@cadiz1, for further information:
https://musescore.org/en/node/153976
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oud : (Turkish lute = [A] -D-E-A-D-G; Maghreb tuning = [D] -G--A-D-G-C from the bottom)
(if I'm not wrong)
We got another question on the french forum about this. Can someone provide an instruments.xml entry for the Oud?
I guess you refer to https://musescore.org/fr/node/238871#comment-758541
Trying to summarize:
No frets-> No tab, just like for violin. So no string data or tuning needed.
Lowest pitch C2, hightest pitch C4+15 semitones -> Eb5, same for Amateur and Professional
Genre: ethnic and earllymusic
Sound: same as other lutes: steel string guitar
Correct so far?
"No frets-> No tab, just like for violin. So no string data or tuning needed."
Yes, but no! Possible tabs because:
1) in "All instruments", another fretless instrument (Fretless Electric Bass ) is implemented with string data/tuning: Bass Fretless.mscz
2) As shown in a previous message, Sibelius allows the tabs for the oud.
Proposal of tuning (one of the more common/standard): C2/F2/A2/D3/G3/C4
But agreed: some inconsistency with violin (and other). Nevertheless, oud and fretless electric bass are plucked stringed instruments (like guitars family and other 'ethnic' instruments), more likely to use "naturally" tabs :)
Clef then should probably be G8vb, like for Guitar, or transpose an octave?
Indeed, G8vb works, but finally I vote for transpose an octave. Seems more common in oud repertoire. See eg p.28 or 32 and next, of this document: http://www.channelingstudio.ru/texts/Music%20Theory%20of%20Makams.pdf
OK, let's mimik "Guitar (Treble clef)" then, which is transposing but reacts on the concert pitch button to switch between octaves and the 2 clefs
Which means to 'fake' the strings to be an octave higher.
See https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/pull/3258
Fixed in branch master, commit cc24785f62
Fix #153566: Add the oud as instrument
Fixed in branch master, commit a6ddf16b15
Merge pull request #3258 from Jojo-Schmitz/oud
Fix #153566: Add the oud as instrument
Fixed in branch 2.2, commit f35996f100
Fix #153566: Add the oud as instrument
Automatically closed -- issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.