What comes to mind when someone says the words, “Egyptian Oud” or Egyptian Music? Do you think of belly dancers? Or do you think of the diva Umm Kulthum? Or do you think of this cool dude Amr Diab? Maybe all of these come to mind… But what about Farid Al-Atrash…? A long time ago someone corrected me when I said that Farid Al-Atrash was Egyptian. He’s associated very much…
Read MoreAn Exercise for Honing Your Taqasim
In response to hearing a taqsim recorded by one of my Step-by-Step Taqasim students, I suggested the following exercise: One exercise you can do is take this recording of your taqsim and play it back and listen then try to recreate some of your melodies and think about what phrase you were trying to create at that moment. Then think about how you can refine it. By refining I mean,…
Read MoreThe Dark Side of Learning Taqsim – Learn Taqsim
Learn taqsim… Easier said than done… This post is about the hard truth about learning how to play a taqsim on the Oud (or any instrument). The reality is much harsher than anyone wants to admit. And so, I made a video about the Dark Side of learning taqsim. I want you to see exactly what you have to do to learn how to improvise or play a taqsim on…
Read MoreTaqsim Study Material – Practice Oud Taqsim
How do you learn how to play taqasim? This is a subject that is difficult to articulate. There are very few materials out there that teach taqasim. There are not many study materials written on paper about taqasim. For some Oud players, taqasim might eventually develop. For others, it takes some guess work, trial and error, and coaching. I’m of two minds in regards to this: From one perspective, you…
Read More
