There are many ways you can incorporate Oud into Western music. I have seen a few different ways of doing this. Some ways are more effective than others. I have played the Oud in the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra and experienced first hand some of the ways Western composers incorporate the Oud into their music as well. If there are some genres that you have seen that are not mentioned here…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Style? – Regional Oud Playing Styles (Part 2)
If you remember from last week’s post, I was going to continue the regional Oud playing styles discussion by talking about non-Arabic styles. Knowing about these styles goes a long way to enriching your knowledge of the Oud, and appreciating the scope it has acquired over time. Here is a big category: Turkey Turkish music is a whole different genre. You will hear different maqams with different names. You…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Style? – Regional Oud Playing Styles (Part 1)
Regional Oud Playing Styles As a beginner it is helpful to see all the different possibilities that playing the Oud has to offer. The reach of the Oud encompasses as far west as Morocco, all the way east to the Persian gulf and even the shores of Malaysia. Try to hear the subtle differences in the way they get the sound out of the instrument, their phrases, and their…
Read MoreHow To Change Oud Strings
I made a basic and informal video about changing Oud strings. It just gives the very basic idea. This is a video for beginners, and the most important thing to remember is just to be very careful when performing these instructions. Always loosen any string to are about to adjust in any way, especially when adjusting the action as shown at the end of the video. I usually change…
Read MoreWhat’s in a name? Musical Forms in Middle Eastern Music
If you are getting to know Middle Eastern music you may have noticed that you see a lot of similar names for tunes that sound totally different. This article will talk about some of the names you will see when you read Arabic records, watch YouTube videos, and go to concerts. It seems that a lot of early music tended to name compositions by their function or their place.…
Read MoreDIY Oud Risha
Here is a video about constructing and shaping an Oud Risha / pick / mizrab. We showed three types of Oud mizrab material namely, Talonite, Mizrite, and cable ties. Things you’ll need: 1 piece coarse sand paper 1 piece fine sand paper Oud mizrab blanks or heavy duty cable ties from your hardware store. A few important things to remember: Use coarse sandpaper to create the main shape…
Read MoreOud Lessons Re-Release Update!
Thank you to those of you who have shown interest and support for our learning material and Oud lessons in the last few weeks. We hope the content of our website has been useful to you. We have been brainstorming ideas for new learning material for a long time, and we are excited to finally share these with you. As you may or may not know, Oud for Guitarists…
Read MoreOud Picks : The Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide Part 5
Part 5: Oud Picks The final accessory required to get you started on the Oud is an Oud pick. It called mezraab/mizrap in Farsi and Turkish and Reesha in Arabic. Whatever you call it, you’re going to need a good one. Don’t go cutting up your old yogurt containers yet, there are much better options out there! The mezraab is long and thin. It is held not only by the fingers…
Read MoreOud Strings : The Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide Part 4
Part 4: Oud Strings Don’t let the prospect of buying a new set of strings stop you from getting into the Oud. Fortunately, there are many companies that manufacture Oud strings for all types of tunings and styles. Oud string also last a very long time and are not meant to be changed too often, but this is always a matter of personal preference. Keep things simple and purchase Navid’s…
Read MoreHow to Buy Oud in a Foreign Country : The Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide Part 3
Part 3: How to Buy an Oud in a Foreign Country Some of you may wish to buy an Oud when visiting a Middle Eastern country. This is a great idea because you also get to see where the Oud comes from and get a sense of the culture, perhaps meet some musicians, and meet the person who made your Oud. In most cases, you will probably buy an…
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