My relationship with Celtic music When people encounter my name, it’s often with confusion. They have no idea where either of my names are from. My surname, “Goldrick”, is an Irish surname. I enjoy Irish Celtic music, and other European Celtic music. The musical tradition is also very similar to Middle Eastern musical tradition in that music is learned primarily by ear, and music can be interpreted rather than followed note by note…
Read MoreEverything you need to learn in one song – Doulab Bayati
Learning the subtleties of Arabic music can take a long time. When I was learning Arabic music, I was listening to lots of music so I could hear examples of everything and absorb all the melodies and nuances of all the different maqamat. I was copying these melodies on the Oud and trying to bring them out. It was a very long process, and I became very good…
Read MoreYou CAN Play Rock Music on the Oud – Purple Haze Oud Cover
Can you play Rock music on the Oud? Hell yes! And why not? I’ve decided to test the limits of the Oud’s ability to play different types of music, and I’ve decided to try my hand at Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze, because why not? No one has done it before! It’s time to expand the repertoire of the Oud. Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix was practically a…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Guide to Persian Music
Persian Music is EASIER to Learn Persian music is definitely not as popular among Western peoples as is Arabic and Turkish music. There could be many reasons for this, but I think the two biggest ones are: 1.) The political climate of the last 30 years has closed off Iran’s cultural heritage to the world to only a select few with the tenacity to pursue it. 2.) The music itself rather introspective,…
Read MoreSawt Al-Khaleej
Today you’re going to learn about a really important genre of Arabic music. This music is timeless and ancient. It is very different in tone and feeling than Arabic music in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Egypt. You can call it Sawt Al-Khaleej, or Sawt for short. Sawt music is the Arabic music I find very intriguing. The rhythms are very unique, and the Oud playing is absolutely furious.…
Read MoreCan you Dance to Traditional Persian Music? Reng-e Nava by Hossein Alizadeh
It’s no secret that Persian musicians are pretty serious guys and gals. Have you ever been to a Persian concert? It’s no dance party, that’s for sure. But if you take a really good look at the music, and the history, you’ll find that Persian music has dance written all over it. That’s what I’m going to demonstrate this week… No, I’m not going to dance… I’ll perform…
Read MoreLearn Guli Ya Hilu on Oud
A few weeks ago you learned how to play a basic Jurjunah (Jurjinah) Rhythm on the Oud. Now it’s time to learn an actual song in this rhythm. We’ll learn Guli Ya Hilu, a well-know traditional Iraqi song. Check out the video below. Guli Ya Hilu is in an obscure Maqam called Lami. For information about this maqam listen to Jamil Bashir’s taqsim. You can also check…
Read MoreJurjunah Rhythm
Another widely known rhythm you may come across is Jurjunah. This rhythm is used a lot in Iraq, Kurdistan, and Iran. The rhythm is commonly written in 10/8. There are ten beats per measure. The key to understanding this rhythm is to remember how to subdivide the rhythm and which beats own the emphasis. Jurjunah is very straight-forward once divided properly. Jurjunah is divided into 3+2+2+3. The…
Read MoreThe Difference Between Persian, Arabic and Turkish Quartertones
If you don’t know anything about me, the first thing you should know is that I only started listening to Arabic and Turkish music about 8 or 9 years ago. I’m Persian, I grew up listening to traditional Persian music, and the bulk of my musical education is in Persian music. So when I started to listen to Arabic and Turkish music I noticed that the quartertones (or…
Read More6 Mini Scales That Create Maqam Music
In this week’s video, I want to share a shortcut with you. A shortcut that will help you learn maqam music. If you’re just learning the Oud or Middle Eastern Music, then you’re going to eventually learn how to play a maqam. I know that maqams are really, really hard to get into. When I started learning, I didn’t know what maqam I was hearing or playing… But…
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