Farid al-Atrash songs are fun to play. Here are two great ones to try out.
Read MoreFarid Al Atrash Taqsim Al Rabeea Part 4 – Finale!
I was listening to this Album by the Classical Arabic Orchestra of Aleppo, Ottoman Arabic Classical Music. The first track is Samai Bayati starting with a Oud taqsim. At about 0:53 seconds, the Oud player plays the exact same riff that Farid Al Atrash played from his taqsim Al Rabeea… it’s not exactly the same, but it’s quite obvious where the inspiration for this comes from. In…
Read MoreFarid Al Atrash Taqsim Al Rabeea Part 2
Improvisation is a hot topic in Middle Eastern Music… Improvisation is a very interesting topic in Middle Eastern music that demands a lot of study. Farid Al Atrash was one particular master of improvisation and known for a very distinct, flashy style. A lot of Oud learners struggle with this because often the concept of improvisation is very different in Western music. There is Jazz improvisation……
Read MoreFarid Al Atrash – Taqsim Al Rabeea
As you may know, I’m from Iranian background and I grew up in that culture in Canada. It wasn’t until about 8 years ago I started to really listen to Arabic music. Over that time period, I’ve really seen some interesting cultural differences through both music cultures. Iranians are expected to stay dead quiet until the end of a performance… Iranian musicians and performers expect their…
Read MoreThe Best 50 Middle Eastern Songs You Have to Hear!
Here is a brief education in Middle Eastern music listening. If you want to become more familiar with Arabic music and don’t know where to begin, I have 50 suggestions for you. This is just a mere, humble list, and really does not do justice to the rich musical traditions of each area I mention, but it is a strong start. I made three categories: Arabic, Turkish, Persian. The list…
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