[Ilia Mazia]

Hello all
I hope this question is apropriate for duduk forum.
I play duduk and some simple wooden/tin whistles and now I am starting to practice on blul ( made by Rubo). My questions are about fingering.
Let's say the instrument is in C So play first octave as:
C (do) = all 6 upper holes closed
D (re) = 6th opened
E (mi) = 5th and 6 th opened etc.
There are few ways to play C of second octave:
- to close 6 holes again
- to open first hole and close 5 holes from 2to 6 (like tin whistle)
- to open everything and increase the angle between lips and instrument (like on ney).
Which way is more precise and accepted?
The same problem is with C of third octave which is really difficult for me to do now.
The second question is about half-tones - do they close half-holes as on duduk or use some kind of "forks" also?
Thank you
Ilia

[Duduk]

Welcome to Duduk forum


back in days he was only making bluel in A D E only


A bluel Fingering cart http://www.duduk.com/Arm-music-ins/Blul/rr_bluel/A-BLUL

D bluel Fingering cart
http://www.duduk.com/Arm-music-ins/Blul/rr_bluel/D-BLUL

E bluel Fingering cart
http://www.duduk.com/Arm-music-ins/Blul/rr_bluel/E-BLUL

one of the best persons to answer to your questions is our forum member Sayat Nova - AKA SHERAM - send him an PM


MOvses

[Ilia Mazia]

Thanks a lot, Movses! I sent him an email.

back in days he was only making bluel in A D E only

You are right, my blul is in D. I wrote "Let's say the instrument is in C" as I used to "think" C when all 6 holes are closed.
The fingering chart for D is very strange. Look, the first interval for D-blul is 2 tones (D-F#) and for A and E only 1 tone (D-E and A-B relatively). It's mistake isn't it? It must be 1 tone everywhere and it's one tone on my blul. I guess one note is missing, it must be D, E, F#

[Ilia Mazia]

Blul video for good music fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83nVxNCGFCQ

[Sayat Nova]

Barev everyone,

Well, you are lucky to get me during this time as I am in harvest mode right now and will be working everyday for the next 2 months straight, so I will be checking my email only sporadically. So, please forgive possible gaps in response times to your questions...:-)

Anyhow, thank you Ilia for the YouTube video, I loved it (even if it is Hovo-jian on clarinet whom I feel is fantastic, I still wish he would be more respectfull of the ploul player when he was playing, but that happens all of the time!!!:-)

To your question, in general I have seen various plouls that have variations in tunings (spacing of semi or full tones on the same corresponding hole between instruments) it is just how it was made and by whom and how he was doing it at that time in his production (maybe also to fit how a player liked it to be for a system he was already familiar with, as for his shevi perhaps)? Look at shevi hole spacings, the 5th hole down from the top (on the front) is either small and higher-up, or it is larger and lower down = two different systems. I like the larger hole lower because it gives me the same fingering for a duduk. But, certain mourams (modes) are easier to play with the smaller hole because it elimenates one 1/2 holing on a part of the scale and is simpler to be in tune (Shushtar being a good example of this).

As for technique, just as with duduk players half-holing notes either from the side or rolling-up on the hole with their fingers, it will be which everway you are most comfortable with. I personally half-hole my notes and never use a "fork" tuning because that was the way I was taught (and I am primarilly a duduk player, so 1/2 holing would be universal technique for all of the flutes: duduk, shvi, ploul, zourna). Also, to my experience, 1/2 holing often does not really work with shevi (especially in the low octave on the low notes) and it really messes-up the zourna (causing it to squack and pich-up alot). The biggest thing I have against fork-tuning is that you lose the ability to be able to do a controlled vibrato with the fingers on the half holes, and you will not be able to do 1/4 tones evenly on every hole across the whole instrument. However, that being said, it is true that 1/4 tones can be done a bit with blowing harder or less strong, but it is not as immediate and accurate as with the fingers (and, again you lose the vibrato possibilies on the 1/4 tone as with the 1/2 fingering technique).

Again, this is only my own experience and someone else will quite possibly have his own system, different from mine that works for him! But, you asked me, so that is my answer...


I hope everyone is well, and that helps you.

Sheram

If you need more clarification that what I wrote, you may ring me and I will happy to help you. MOvses has the # and I think it is still posted in the teachers and performers section.


PS: I almost forgot: Welcome to the forum...:-)

[Ilia Mazia]

Hello Sheram

Thank you very much for the detailed and helpful answer.
Concerning the first part of it (hole spacings) - I think that my instrument is similar to this on video (at this site) of Rubo playing blul D(I can play unison with him with the same fingering). If we are talking about different spacing of shvi/duduk usually the differences are in the range of quarter or half tone. If I look at the fingering chart on this website the difference with my instrument is 2 tones(!). So I still can't understand this

http://www.duduk.com/Arm-music-ins/Blul/rr_bluel/D-BLUL

Anyway I managed to play two octaves, not chromatic yet. Half-holing on blul doesn't work well for now but I think it just needs much more practice.

Thanks again for warm welcome and your explanations, thanks for kind suggestion to call you. I'll continue to practice and ask more specific questions.

Best regads,
Ilia

[Colin]

I have a set of 3 OMO bluls. They seem to have more chromatic notes. Moses, do you have fingering charts for all Hovsep's bluls??