As I introduced in my article, Arabic Maqam Theory – A Brief Introduction, there are many maqams that are commonly used in the Middle Eastern music, and each maqam has smaller sections. Some maqams sound very similar because they share same notes. Same but different. This may have caused some of you to think, “Do I need to learn all these maqams before I can play the Oud?” …
Read MoreOud Lessons Re-Release Update!
Thank you to those of you who have shown interest and support for our learning material and Oud lessons in the last few weeks. We hope the content of our website has been useful to you. We have been brainstorming ideas for new learning material for a long time, and we are excited to finally share these with you. As you may or may not know, Oud for Guitarists…
Read MoreOud Picks : The Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide Part 5
Part 5: Oud Picks The final accessory required to get you started on the Oud is an Oud pick. It called mezraab/mizrap in Farsi and Turkish and Reesha in Arabic. Whatever you call it, you’re going to need a good one. Don’t go cutting up your old yogurt containers yet, there are much better options out there! The mezraab is long and thin. It is held not only by the fingers…
Read MoreOud Strings : The Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide Part 4
Part 4: Oud Strings Don’t let the prospect of buying a new set of strings stop you from getting into the Oud. Fortunately, there are many companies that manufacture Oud strings for all types of tunings and styles. Oud string also last a very long time and are not meant to be changed too often, but this is always a matter of personal preference. Keep things simple and purchase Navid’s…
Read MoreHow to Buy Oud in a Foreign Country : The Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide Part 3
Part 3: How to Buy an Oud in a Foreign Country Some of you may wish to buy an Oud when visiting a Middle Eastern country. This is a great idea because you also get to see where the Oud comes from and get a sense of the culture, perhaps meet some musicians, and meet the person who made your Oud. In most cases, you will probably buy an…
Read MoreOud Makers : The Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide Part 2
Part 2: Oud Makers In this section we will deal with Oud makers, and we will refer to two categories of Ouds: factory Ouds, and Luthier built Ouds. Factory built Ouds encompass low-end, mid-range, and high-end Ouds, but are known generally for their cheaper low-end and mid-range Ouds. The construction of these Ouds may be supervised, designed, or inspected by a Luthier but will not likely…
Read MoreAccelerated Learning: Fast Track to Becoming an Oud Player
Do you know Tim Ferriss? He is the author of The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef, all of which are bestsellers. Well, the first one sounds interesting, but I’m not interested in the second or third titles, you say. He is one of my heros. Actually, OUR heros. Both Navid and I fell in love with this guy’s awesomeness and idea of doing less work and…
Read MoreTypes of Ouds : The Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide Part 1
Looking to buy an Oud? There is a lot of information about Ouds out there, and it is all over the place. So I decided to put it all in one place here with pictures and infographics and call it the Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide! Whether you are entering the world of Ouds or you have played it for some time, read this 5-part Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide…
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