For a beginner it is easier to tune your Oud with a digital tuner. But what did the Oud players of old do? They tuned their instruments by ear. This video is going to show you how to tune your Oud by ear. After really learning Middle Eastern music, you will learn that the value of pitches or frequency is not as important in Middle Eastern music as it is…
Read MoreWords of Wisdom – from World Famous Oud Masters
It is every Oud learner’s dream to study with world famous professional Oud players. Yet many of us only get to see these Oud masters in person at their concerts if they ever come into our town, and getting personal advice and their secrets from them seems like another dream. To help all Oud learners out there with similar urge to listen to renowned Oud masters’ words of…
Read MoreMaqam Hijaz Medley
As I introduced in my article, Arabic Maqam Theory – A Brief Introduction, there are many maqams that are commonly used in the Middle Eastern music, and each maqam has smaller sections. Some maqams sound very similar because they share same notes. Same but different. This may have caused some of you to think, “Do I need to learn all these maqams before I can play the Oud?” …
Read MoreArabic Maqam Theory – A Brief Introduction
This article is going to be a concise introduction to Arabic maqam theory. My hope is that this will break down the basics for you to understand what is going on in Arabic music in terms of what scales are being played and how to modulate. For a beginner, one of the most important things to do in order to learn this music is to listen to Arabic music a…
Read MoreOud Fusion Music
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 More
