In response to hearing a taqsim recorded by one of my Step-by-Step Taqasim students, I suggested the following exercise:
One exercise you can do is take this recording of your taqsim and play it back and listen then try to recreate some of your melodies and think about what phrase you were trying to create at that moment. Then think about how you can refine it. By refining I mean, cleaning up the risha, tremolo, and attack in a way that is even more purposeful.
Imagine your taqsim like you’re painting a landscape. Some parts are very clear and sharp, and visible, other parts are a bit blurry and you can’t make out. Try to tighten the focus on those parts you think are a bit messy.
Let’s say you’ve now identified one phrase you want to clean up. Hum the essence of the melody you created and then apply that your playing. This may mean you play your tremolo a bit cleaner here, or maybe you play more sparsely there.
In all taqasim there will always be blurry parts and clear parts, but we want to aim for 80% clarity.
Try this out, and comment below on how it went. Or email me at support@oudforguitarists.com.
