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:
Video Content
So here are the common problems people have.
#1 Don’t have the time
Yes, we all have busy lives nowadays. So we tried our best to make our content as concise and practical as possible. Most of the video modules are 15 minutes long or less, and you can do it at your own pace. I’m sure you can make 15 minutes a week out of your busy life and spend it on what you love doing. Each week when you learn something new you will feel good about it.
Also, if you buy a package with the Middle Eastern ear training program, you can take the audio tracks anywhere, like podcasts. So put the ear training mp3 files on your ipad or mp3 player and listen to them as you shave or as you cook or as you jog, or listen to them while driving to work.
#2 I can’t hear those quartertones.
I know, those quartertones can be annoying. The only way to learn how to hear quarter tones is to use your voice and learn how to sing them. Your voice is the your most primary musical instrument. Using your voice is like creating a bridge between your brain and your fingers playing the Oud. If you can sing it, you can play it. You can go and search through YouTube songs with quartertones on your own, or you can join us and listen to the Middle Eastern ear training program, which is designed to train your ear to hear quartertones and tell differences between different ajna and different maqamat.
#3 The program is too expensive.
It may appear that way, and we want you to spend your money on things that deserve it. But we all know that if you are serious about playing the Oud authentically, a good understanding of maqamat is a must.
Studying on your own is great. But the content in the Maqam Mastery Program is what can take a learner many years to learn from self-study or in-person lessons with a teacher, which can cost you a lot more in the end. You will also see that the Maqam Mastery Program is offered in 3 tier pricing to suit different budgets.
#4 I’m worried that this program may not work for me.
Well, why don’t you give it a try? We developed this program based on our customer research. We asked our customers and subscribers what they struggled with, and tried to tackle their problems with learning maqamat. It is also based on my own personal experience learning the Oud, and what I found worked the best.
To be or not to be…
Can’t hear quartertones? Listen to the ear training program, and soon you can hear the tones differently.
Takes too long to memorize maqamat? Follow the video instructions that teach you basic maqamat and diverge into more complicated ones. Don’t memorize what notes are in each maqam. Try to get the feeling of each maqam.
Can’t play maqamat authentically? Both the video instructions and ear training program cover idiomatic phrases that are particular to each maqam. Incorporate those phrases in your playing, and you will sound authentic in no time.
Now, what this program will NOT do for you are:
- It will not teach you right & left hand techniques. Feel free to copy what I do, but the focus of the program is on maqam learning.
- It will not give you all possible ways of developing melody in different maqamat. We show you lots of examples, but it is impossible to cover all possibilities because there is an infinite number of ways to develop melodies. Instead, you will learn tools and principles that you can use to absorb new ways of melodic development that you hear and learn patterns on your own so you can further educate yourself on maqamat on your own.
- It will not instantly make you a master Oud player. The content in this program takes regular Oud players years to master. The program helps you save time and money in researching the comprehensive learning materials, right songs, and rules for each maqam, but you need to put in the effort and practice.
So are you ready to start training your ear for Middle Eastern music and finally feeling like an authentic Oud player? Then go ahead and jump over to the Maqam Mastery website at www.oudforguitarists.com/maqam-mastery.
Need extra convincing? Here are comments we received from those who are already learning from the Maqam Mastery Program.
“I would say I have probably learned more from the
videos this weekend than I have practising over the last
few weeks – or even the last few months. The rule, as I
have read many a time, is to practice smarter, not harder.
And these video certainly helped that happen.”
– Sam (UK)
“The Maqam Mastery Program is truly unique. Navid is a
wonderful teacher who breaks down the components of
maqamat in simple and clear ways. Learning aurally
through these modules is far better than working from a
book, and for those who don’t have access to an oud
teacher, the Maqam Mastery Program is priceless.”
– Larry Bitensky, composer and pianist, Professor of
Music at Centre College (US)
“It is really good for me (non-oriental) to get the basics
right. Most of the time, people from arabic origin find the
maqam so ‘natural’, that they can not start to explain
and you are really giving me a good starting position.”
– Ernest (Belgium)
So what are you waiting for? Give it a try, and if you don’t like it, we’ll give 100% of your money back within 60 days of purchase.
Thanks for watching, and see you in the Maqam Mastery Program.
