A fascinating phenomenon in middle eastern music is that we have in Arabic and Turkish repertoire some shared repertoire that originate from the Ottoman school of music that permeated their way into Arabic music. However, these pieces are generally performed in such a way as to demonstrate a unique aesthetic. An important distinction between Turkish and Arabic renditions of the same composition are in the intonation of microtones employed in…
Read MoreThe difference between Arabic and Turkish microtones.
As a Persian musician, I was always fascinated when I first heard the difference between Arabic and Turkish microtones because I could hear that something was very similar to Persian music, but also very different. Some of the differences I was hearing were so subtle; it was marvelous, and a little bewildering. It took me many years to reconcile, understand, and apply the difference between Arabic and Turkish microtones to…
Read MoreThe Difference Between Persian, Arabic and Turkish Quartertones
If you don’t know anything about me, the first thing you should know is that I only started listening to Arabic and Turkish music about 8 or 9 years ago. I’m Persian, I grew up listening to traditional Persian music, and the bulk of my musical education is in Persian music. So when I started to listen to Arabic and Turkish music I noticed that the quartertones (or…
Read MoreThe Muting Technique – Playing Short Staccato Notes
You’re going to learn another important nuance that is found in all types of music. I call it the… Muting Technique It allows you to cut off the note that you have played so you can play notes short and staccato. Watch the video below to see how it’s done! Muting Technique – Basic Left Hand Oud Technique Difficulty: Easy Why? The ability to mute the notes…
Read MoreAccented Tremolo – Basic Right Hand Oud Technique
I am so happy to see that you are following the Oud technique series videos and articles. This one is about a basic and fundamental Oud technique called… Accented Tremolo This is a technique that can be used in pretty much any situation. It is used Oud styles as it is fundamental to creating music on the Oud. Accented tremolo is also very important in Persian music. I…
Read MoreOud Maqam Learning Part 1: Maqam Learning Made Easy!
Okay, so you want to hear a melody, understand it and be able to play it authentically… But you find maqam music so hard to play, can’t recognize the maqams by ear, or remember them all…or all of the above? If so, check out this Oud Maqam Learning video series: Part 1: Maqam Learning Made Easy! (you are checking out this one) Part 2: The Ultimate Introduction to Maqam Music…
Read MoreCan You Count To 10? – Sama’i Thaqil – Samai Rhythm
When was the last time you had trouble counting to 10? It was probably when you were 5 years old, or maybe it was the first time you tried to play or listen to a Sama’i instrumental! I want to share something very quick, short and easy that you can use to keep track of the beat of a very pesky rhythm in Arabic music called Sama’i Thaqil, and Aksak…
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…
Read MoreArabic Maqam Theory – A Brief Introduction
This article is going to be a concise introduction to Arabic maqam theory. My hope is that this will break down the basics for you to understand what is going on in Arabic music in terms of what scales are being played and how to modulate. For a beginner, one of the most important things to do in order to learn this music is to listen to Arabic music a…
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