I found it really difficult to get into Arabic music when I started investigating it and listening to it. I didn’t have the cultural background or even friends to ask about it. Even the Arabic Oud players I knew about were hard to listen to because I just wasn’t diggin’ it yet.
It took me a while to get a taste for Arabic music… and Turkish music. I had only known middle eastern music through Persian music. Persian music was what I listened to since I was a kid, so that’s what I knew the best. That’s why…
It’s important to listen a lot, especially in the beginning.
I want to share a post I created almost two years ago which features some questions and answers from some famous Oud players. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it.
One common theme that you’ll see when you read their answers, is that they recommend listening to the music a lot. This is important to create a melodic vocabulary that you’ll eventually be able to express when your Oud technique gets strong enough.
That’s why I created this Free email course “Arabic Music 101”, because this is what I would have learned Arabic music much faster if I had more exposure to the right kind of music.
Hello. I am interested in checking out some of you lessons. I play flamenco and classical guitar and a little jazz. I found a you tube video the other day of someone playing a Godin fretted oud. I spend incredible and I looked into finding one. I know an oud does not have frets and although it may be easy to learn, I am wondering if much of the essence of the instrument is lost if it has frets. I found on line another Godin oud that is fretless. Do you think that would be a good instrument to begin with? I saw a video of you playing one. You seemed to like it. I know it is not an authentic oud but I have had instruments with traditional tuning machines and they usually sat in the closet since they were so hard keep tuned. Also, do you think a the Godin loud sound OK when it was not plugged in?
Thanks.
If you have a chance, send me a response.
Jim
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your great questions. The Godin MultiOud is an amazing Oud to start with. It’s truly an “Oud for Guitarists”. For someone coming from Guitar, this is a great instrument to start with. Easy to play, doesn’t come with those tuning struggles that a lot of lower end Ouds might have.
It sounds decent unplugged. But it needs to be worked in a played a lot to start to sound nice, and it starts to respond better unplugged with working it in. It does sound more “tinny” unplugged. I don’t really understand why Godin would make a fretted version, but some would ask the same question for a fretless Guitar. They also have a steel string fretless MultiOud as well. The real magic happens when you plug in the instrument. With the ambiance multiOud you get a very authentic Turkish Oud sound. And with the right set up, it can pass for an Arabic Oud too.
If you buy it from a random seller online, I would take it in to an experienced luthier to have it set up. Some people have had complaints about them. I bought mine through a dealer and had no issues however.
Good luck and send me an email if you have further questions at support@oudforguitarists.com.
Navid
Of course, it’s not the same thing as an acoustic Oud.