Here’s my cover of John Mayer’s ‘Your Body is a Wonderland’ on Oud. I used to play this song on Guitar way back when… It was one of the first songs that I learned to play and sing on Guitar. On Guitar it’s not that challenging, but on the Oud, it’s another story all together..
3 Rules of Doing Covers…
Arrangement and Approach
If you ever want to do a similar cover of a song on Oud, here are 3 rules to keep in mind.
1. Capture the essence, don’t play it note for note.
Don’t try to reproduce a song note for note on the Oud. Just try and reproduce the ESSENCE. This means that you reproduce the most important parts of the piece that make it recognizable. Focus on the bigger picture first.
2. When you don’t know what to play, create something new.
Don’t be afraid to change the piece to suit the instrument you’re playing. In addition to not playing the song note for note, you might need to create an accompaniment that fits with the melody of the vocal line and the essence of the original.
3. Put your signature on it.
The most important part of doing covers, is to make it your own. Sing it in a way that compliments your own voice. A cover is not meant to be done exactly like the original. This applies to both Western music and Middle Eastern music. If you listen carefully in my cover, between the bridge and the final chorus I play an Arabic rhythm and use quarter tones. I just put a dash of Middle Eastern spice on this song, and it makes it sound different and unexpected.
Apply these 3 points to Oud Taqsim
Have you ever tried learning a Farid al Atrash taqsim? It’s hard… but you can also apply these 3 points to making it a little easier to learn. It’s okay to not play everything note by note, just do your best and it will come with time.
Check out my 4 part video series on Farid Al Atrash’s Taqsim Al-Rabeea. You’ll see how focusing on the bigger picture at first can help learn a very challenging taqsim.
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