There’s no manual on how to play a taqsim…

Part 1 of 3

There’s no how-to manual on how to play a taqasim. 

Most students get thrown to the wolves when they learn taqasim with their teachers telling them to “just feel it”, “create your own melody”, etc, etc, etc. 

AND, very few teachers know how to teach melody creation, or how to go about playing a taqasim. 

This is one of the plateaus we reach when learning Oud or any middle eastern instrument. 

We might be able to play a few songs well, but we can’t take a solo. 

You just don’t know where to begin, or what to do. 

The first time I tried improvising, my mom kindly asked, “Why don’t you play a real song or something”, lol. 

I just tried putting notes together myself. But it sounded like random notes that didn’t make any sense. (Maybe I was an avant-garde Oud genius…?, lol.)

I remember feeling confused and frustrated about what makes a melody make sense… 

“How do I sound better… 

What makes a song sound like a “real song”….

Why shouldn’t I try creating melodies too…”

Have you felt that way before the first time you tried your first taqsim?

How did you go about it? 

Let me know in the comments below.

Part 2 coming soon.

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