check out these guys' rest-strokes

a

http://www.mikeouds.com/video/

MichaelHorowitz

Yes...it's no secret that the rest stroke technique is very old. As you've discovered, it goes back to the original plectrum instrument....the Oud.

You'll also see it used on a plethora of other plectrum instruments: bouzouki, tres, banjo, mandolin, bandola, etc....

It's pretty hard to find a pre 20th century plectrum tradition that doesn't use it...

'm

a

oud players use long picks. is there any advantages or disadvantages? do any gypsy jazz guys use long picks?

bbwood_98

A,
yeah, but really flexy picks too . . . I play some DIM (Django inspired music- thx dennis!) with one in Central park yesterday- cool sound! It was great fun; and a close up look at someone playing oud was pretty interesting Re GJ picking. Funny, he didn't when he picked up my guitar!
Cheers,
B.
Ps. Cool VIDS!

Carter O`Brien

say, how old is the oud, and how does it compare to those harp-like African stringed instruments (the name escapes me at the moment)?

MichaelHorowitz

I'm not up on the entire history of the oud...maybe someone knows of a web site or book on the topic?

'm

bbwood_98

oud is old . . . much older then our current guitar (even classical) . . . about 500-700 years old . . . if I remember correctly from school. The african harps are much much much older (like morning of human development) . . . 3000+ or so (perhaps more). The african harps (hunters harps and Koras, among other names) are not fretted, and have strings attached to gourds with a stick; you slide the knot attaching the string up and down to tune them; and each string has one pitch. I love the sound of the kora- in fact I alternate weeks with a kora player at a cafe on sundays . . . a fantastic instrument.
Cheers,
B.
Ps. feel free to correct my dates- they may be of by a century or two!