This is a follow up to another article about making your own Oud Mizrab or Risha. I recently got a new corn horn Risha and I just have to describe my experience with it for everybody because it is really special, and I would recommend it for anyone at any learning level. Below is a short video about it.
My cow horn Risha is relatively narrow, and not too thick, I would guess that it is one of the average size and thickness that luthier John Vergara makes (more info about him below). Cow horn does not bend the way plastic does, so it gives a nice attack to the strings and doesn’t absorb the sound the way plastic does. Cow horn is brittle and dense so it is much harder than plastic.
The biggest difference that you will immediately feel is how it sits in your hand, it bends a little, but it doesn’t flop around or mold to your hand like plastic does. It feels very different and it might take some getting used to. However, I don’t feel as though one needs to change their right hand technique much. I still play more or less the same way I did with plastic rishas, but it does feel different. But that difference is what makes the difference in your playing. The mizrab stays straight because it is denser material and allows a closer connection between hand and the strings. I hope that a sound comparison will come across in this video. I will compare of my favorite plastic risha which I sanded myself from a very thick cable tie, and my cherished cow horn risha. I will be purchasing more of these because, I just can’t go back to plastic now. I have always heard and read about the use of cow horn for Oud Risha, but until now I never thought it was necessary… I was speaking with another Oud player friend of mine who had gone back home to Iran and was visiting a friend of his who works as a luthier. The luthier had noticed my friend is playing Oud with a plastic Oud Risha. The Luthier asked, “Why are you playing with this garbage? Let me give you something that brings out the sound of your instrument”. The Luthier gave my friend a cow horn risha. Needless to say, I now know that the luthier was correct. When I first played, it was as though I was playing a new Oud. I am very happy with it, and will be purchasing more cow horn rishas in the future.
Where to Buy Your Cow Horn Oud Risha
There are few places you can buy cow horn risha from. There are some vendors on Amazon, but I have heard mixed reviews about them, and they need to sanded to your own taste.
Two Luthiers that I know of who make cow horn risha are John Vergara in New York State, and Matthias Wagner of Germany. Check out their websites and I hope you will buy yourself one. I can’t believe I went this long without one.
As it goes for handmade plectrums and picks, I think their prices are very reasonable. It takes a lot of effort to cut these out and sand them down. Not only that, serious Guitar and Mandolin players pay real coin for good picks like Blue Chip and Wegen Picks. Blue Chip picks start at $35 dollars a piece! But it makes all the difference. With a cow horn Risha you can play easier, smoother, clearer, and bring out the true sound your Oud is supposed to create.
Nice!