Djangology on Laúd (Spanish lute) and a cautious "is this alright?"

TomLaudista

Hi!

Long time lurker and first time poster, but thought thought I'd say hello and (cautiously) ask if people enjoy hearing this music on Laúd.

Here's a solo over Djangology. Posted online a bit before, but over the last couple of months it feels like I've finally got close to getting the right sort of feel, so thought I'd take the plunge and share here.

https://youtu.be/slTnShnIv6I

For anyone unfamiliar with the instrument, it's tuned all in 4ths (G#,C#,F#,B,E,A...two unison strings per course) and in Bandurria groups, is sort of the equivalent of a mandola. It's popular in Cuban styles too (although Cuban laúd is tuned a 4 th higher).

Slight cheating admission: I took a few rounds of solos, began each one quoting the melody, then trimmed to the most interesting one, so is maybe deception by omission ;)

Anyway, hope you enjoy, and any thoughts (positive or constructively negative) are appreciated :)

Tom

pdg

Hey Tom. That's beautiful! I love the tone! And you've got the style right, too!

TomLaudista

Hey thanks! :)

Willie

Hello Tom, this is more than "alright"; I sign every word pdg said!

Buco

Nice! You should definitively do more of that and join a band. Laud is much warmer sounding than mandolin.

TomLaudista

Thanks both! Yeah, I sort of hear Laúd as half way between mandolin and guitar haha

And for sure!

BillDaCostaWilliams

Sounds great and does come across as warmer than the mandolin.

I haven't come across the instrument before. I guess for soloing it would be fairly easy to pick up for a guitarist being tuned in 4ths - more so than the mandolin (which actually isn't super difficult once you get the hang of it)

Chords would be more of a challenge I guess.

TomLaudista

Thanks Bill!

Yeah a lot the fingerings for soloing are similar/the same as as guitar...and the diagonal sort of patterns are maybe even easier than guitar since you don't need to compensate for the G and B string haha.

Chord wise, the crunchy 3/4 note chords are no problem, but a lot of the lush, big voicings are either off limits or have to tweaked a bit

pdg

You could just tune it like a guitar capoed at either the 3rd or 4th fret.

The Mexican "bajo sexto" is another 6-string (6-course) instrument tuned in 4ths. Ned Boynton in San Francisco, who plays gypsy jazz guitar, also plays bajo sexto, so he plays gypsy jazz guitar tuned this way! In fact, he had Shelly Park make him an extra-long neck-guitar, so that he can tune it (from low to high): Eb. Ab, Db, Gb, B, and E.

I first knew something was up when we were jamming on Daphne, and during the bridge he played the open 6th string .....