The Muting Technique – Playing Short Staccato Notes

  You’re going to learn another important nuance that is found in all types of music. I call it the…   Muting Technique It allows you to cut off the note that you have played so you can play notes short and staccato. Watch the video below to see how it’s done!   Muting Technique – Basic Left Hand Oud Technique Difficulty: Easy   Why? The ability to mute the notes…

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Accented Tremolo – Basic Right Hand Oud Technique

  I am so happy to see that you are following the Oud technique series videos and articles. This one is about a basic and fundamental Oud technique called…   Accented Tremolo This is a technique that can be used in pretty much any situation. It is used Oud styles as it is fundamental to creating music on the Oud. Accented tremolo is also very important in Persian music. I…

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Bass Note Jumping – Melody Embellishment Oud Technique

  We are following up last week’s drone technique video with a technique that will help you embellish your melody and help you sound like a pro, I call it… Bass Note Jumping. This technique is widely used by professional Oud players and in theory is very easy, it just takes some practice to get the right intonation. I was actually specifically asked by someone to discuss this technique a…

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The Drone – Right Hand Oud Taqsim Technique

  After talking with the Oud for Guitarists community we realized that people often struggle with 2 things when learning or playing the Oud: 1. Maqamat and 2. Techniques! That’s why we created the Maqam Mastery Program, and now that it has been completed, we’ve decided to start making a video series demonstrating various techniques that can be used on the Oud. They may be right hand techniques, they may be…

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Oud Maqam Learning Part 3: Common Questions Answered…

  Can’t decide whether to go ahead with the Maqam Mastery Program? In this video, I will show you common worries people have before diving into starting their maqam learning. *For those who want to read the content instead of watching the video, you can find the content by scrolling down.   Mentioned in the Video: Maqam Mastery Program   Video Content So here are the common problems people have.…

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Oud Maqam Learning Part 2: The Ultimate Introduction to Maqam Music

  So you heard “maqam = musical scale.” And did you know this idea can hinder you from learning maqamat? In this video, you will see a more accurate way of looking at maqamat so you can learn maqam music properly and more easily, and start playing them authentically. *For those who want to read the content instead of watching the video, you can find the content by scrolling down.  …

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Oud Maqam Learning Part 1: Maqam Learning Made Easy!

Okay, so you want to hear a melody, understand it and be able to play it authentically… But you find maqam music so hard to play, can’t recognize the maqams by ear, or remember them all…or all of the above? If so, check out this Oud Maqam Learning video series: Part 1: Maqam Learning Made Easy! (you are checking out this one) Part 2: The Ultimate Introduction to Maqam Music…

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Album Review “From Stone To Diamond” – Hossein Behroozinia

Have you ever wondered what happened to the Oud in Persian music, why it was abandoned, and how it came known to be the main instrument of the Arabs? I often do… I have not yet found a good answer. But I can tell you that the Oud is alive and well in Iran now because of the efforts of a few individuals who helped bring it back or keep…

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How to Amplify An Oud

My Experience With Oud On Stage Most of my early Oud playing experience on stage was in Persian ensembles. At most having four or five musicians and the Oud playing a more of a solo/bass roll. I’ve always been frustrated playing the Oud on stage. After performances I often heard that the Oud wasn’t loud enough or upon hearing the recording realized that the Oud didn’t sound like I wanted.…

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Helping You play Along With Records – Transcribe!

I have wanted to make a video about tuning your Oud to a recording in order to practice along with it. But I wanted to show you this first. I was referred to a tool that can help you change the pitch of the music you are playing to instead of you changing the pitch of your Oud too much. It is called Transcribe!   Why Should Oud Players Use…

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