Hi, Al-Kindî died ca. 874 CE; his is only one of many treatises in which the fretting of lutes is unequivocally described. Al-Kindî also specifies the gauge of the various strands of gut used as frets, much like Dowland. The entire medieval music theory system was based on the geometric proportions between lute frets. Abdalqâdir al-Marâghî (ca 1400 CE) still uses the same geometric method, although his 'ûd had up to 7 courses (the tarabrûd / theorbo even many more).
Basic reading: H.G. Framer "Was the Arabian and Persian Lute Fretted?", Glasgow 1939, originally in JRAS ca 1934. The illustration is found in a 13th c CE 'Urmawî, Kitâb al-Adwâr ms. Best wishes danyel Am 22.05.2011 um 15:01 schrieb Stuart Walsh: > On 22/05/2011 13:39, Martin Shepherd wrote: >> I remember someone discussing a treatise by Al Kindi (? 11-12th century?) >> which discusses how to place frets on the oud and discusses Pythagorean >> schemes, etc. - so it seems that at least some ouds had frets. Can anyone >> supply the details? >> >> Martin > > > Sounds familiar but I can't remember any details. And this image I got from a > website and forgot the details too: > > > http://www.pluckedturkeys.co.uk/oud.1334-7.jpg > > > Stuart > > >> >> On 22/05/2011 12:59, alexander wrote: >>> These pictures here from Cantigas de Santa Maria were looked at up and >>> down, by countless people. It is hard to deny that most likely, those >>> lute-ouds do not have frets. >>> >>> http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cantigas/images/03.gif >>> >>> Of course, some people argue that, as always, a pencil-challenged >>> illuminator just did not care for drawing the frets. Then we look at a >>> fretted and fretless guitar-things next to each other: >>> >>> >>> http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cantigas/images/15.gif >>> >>> LXR >>> >>> >>> On Sun, 22 May 2011 09:42:06 +0200 >>> David van Ooijen<[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Oh, people who know better should step in. >>>> What I understand is fretless oud playing is a relative modern (how >>>> modern I do not know) thing. What I understand is early (how early I >>>> do not know) Arabian music treatises have fretting schemes with tuning >>>> systems for oud. >>>> >>>> David - fretting for theorbo concert today >>>> -- >>>> >>> >>> >>> To get on or off this list see list information at >>> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> >> > >
