Today, you are going to add a great tune to your repertoire: Raqsat al-Gamal. Why is this such a good tune? Here are 3 reasons. It’s in Maqam Hijaz (everybody loves hijaz) It has a cool modulation. (Watch the video to learn it) It’s the perfect tune to jam with friends. There’s nothing better than having a tune that you can play with a drummer and pass around solos to…
Read MoreWhy I hate Fa Fa tuning
When you get your first Oud, one of the first things you’re going to research is “How do you tune an Oud”. You’ll come across a bunch of tunings. When it comes to Arabic and Persian Oud tunings, you’ll come across 3 or 4 primary ones. Low to high string: (Capital letters are the wound strings, and lower case are plain nylon/fluorocarbon) CFADgc (AKA Do – Do as in solfege…
Read MoreEasy Oud Songs – New Oud Course Coming Soon!
I’ve been teaching private lessons one on one for many years now, and there is always ONE thing students always request: Easy Oud songs to play. I spent years finding these catchy, and timeless Oud songs that are easy enough for beginner Oud players. So to save YOU time, we’re building a new course! Introducing: Easy Oud Songs This course is designed to help you play 10 classic tunes (that all the PROs…
Read MoreOud + Oud Lesson Package Deals
This weekend only, when you buy an Oud from the link below, you’ll get the Oud Foundation Program Levels 1 – 4 for half price (Full price is $199, you get it for $100). Check out the deals right here. Also, I’ll be doing a Q&A live on YouTube where you can ask any questions you have about Ouds. You can watch it right here live or on replay.
Read MoreLearn Aziza on Oud with Notes – عزيزة – محمد عبد الوهاب
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Read MoreIf you want to buy an Oud, read this first (and save $100)
I was about 12 or 13 years old when I became obsessed with buying an electric guitar. I was learning acoustic guitar at the time, so I would go into guitar shops in town and just take in all the colours of the guitars. It was so exciting. I’d see all the different types of amplifiers, guitar picks, straps, distortion pedals, and I just really wanted to become a part of…
Read More3 Reasons to Learn an Umm Kulthum Song – Learn Ana Fi Entezarak on Oud
Umm Kulthum is one of the most challenging artists to really understand as an Oud learner, especially if you’re learning Arabic music as an outsider to the culture. BUT, she’s also one of the most important Arabic artists in the 20th century, and one of the most well-known in the world. Let’s explore how Umm Kulthum is challenging as well as essential to learn. You may recognize many of the…
Read MoreMohamed Al Qasabji – Learn Dhikrayati on Oud
Mohamed Al Qasabji was one the most influential Oud players and composers in Egypt during the 20th century. Learn one of his most well-know compositions right here. I have a new tutorial for you to try out where you can learn this well-known tune called “Dhikrayati” (Zikrayati) by Mohamed Al Qasabji. This video is an section from a full course of Egyptian music for Oud. I chose this piece to…
Read MoreMaqam Daad o Bidaad Workshop
Scroll to the bottom for event details. We’re going to study a maqam that you’ve likely never heard before. It’s very unique, and was actually invented not more than 25 years ago by one of the most famous Persian Tar players in the world, Hossein Alizadeh. Maqam Daado Bidaad This maqam was first released in the album “Raze No”, in 1999. “Raze no”, means “Novel Mystery”. Novel meaning, “new” in…
Read More5 Egyptian Songs You Need to Play on Oud
A few weeks ago I shared some Egyptian songs, and we explored some of the “classic” composers and singers that are dear to Egyptians. We mentioned the likes of Umm Kulthum, Riad Al Sunbaty, and Mohamed Abdul Wahab, and Said Darwish. There was something missing from that post. Where was the Oud element to all that? How do you explore this music on Oud? The task is fairly difficult. For…
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