What comes to mind when someone says the words, “Egyptian Oud” or Egyptian Music? Do you think of belly dancers? Or do you think of the diva Umm Kulthum? Or do you think of this cool dude Amr Diab? Maybe all of these come to mind… But what about Farid Al-Atrash…? A long time ago someone corrected me when I said that Farid Al-Atrash was Egyptian. He’s associated very much…
Read MoreOnline Oud Workshop – Learn Aziza by Abdul Wahab on Oud
We’re going to have an Oud Workshop at OudforGuitarists all online. In this Oud Workshop, we’re going to take a look at some exercises that will allow you to play Abdel Wahab’s “Aziza” in an advanced way with ornaments and embellishments. We will then learn how to play Aziza in a basic way, and show you how to add the ornamentation learned in the exercises. Notation will be provided for…
Read MoreNew Oud Method Book
New Oud Method Book I have 17 exercises for beginner Oud so far. As they become more sophisticated, they also take longer to write. I’m writing all the notation with notation software so that it’s professional and easily editable. I’ve got a freebee for you now. I’m sending out one which is good to use for warming up as well as learning. Let me know what you think. Exercises in…
Read MoreArabic Rhythms on Oud: Malfuf
Arabic rhythms… Hey, I have a new video on YouTube video for you. It’s all about playing Arabic rhythms on the Oud. This rhythm is malfuf. It’s a 2/4 rhythm. You’ll often hear it in the longa style of tune, Arabic belly dance music, and folk music. It’s often used as a way to change up the usual 4/4 rhythm in Arabic music. The tempo can stay the same, but…
Read MoreThe Dark Side of Learning Taqsim – Learn Taqsim
Learn taqsim… Easier said than done… This post is about the hard truth about learning how to play a taqsim on the Oud (or any instrument). The reality is much harsher than anyone wants to admit. And so, I made a video about the Dark Side of learning taqsim. I want you to see exactly what you have to do to learn how to improvise or play a taqsim on…
Read MoreSkype Oud Lessons
Skype Oud Lessons Do you have any burning questions about the Oud? Are you feeling stuck with your Oud playing? Do you need exercises for the left hand or the right hand? You can now get Oud lessons on Skype from me. You can be a bare beginner, a novice, or an intermediate player. You can get Oud lessons tailored to your specific needs. Lesson times: North America…
Read MoreWhere is the Oud going?
Recently I’ve been really wracking my brain around something. And I think I need your help with it. I’m really wondering… where the Oud is going… for me, for the world, for everyone… Where are we taking the Oud? I want to know what’s next. I wrote a post on MikeOud Forums about it… I wrote: “I’ve always been interested in encouraging the development of the Oud in education, in…
Read MoreThoughts on The Persian Radif
I was emailing an OudforGuitarists subscriber about the Persian Radif of Persian traditional music and I thought I’d share some of my thoughts about the Radif here in relation to his questions. The question was basically: What is the role of Radif for a performer? Is memorization of the radif necessary? “As for memorization, even I have not memorized the radif. This idea is a remnant of the past where…
Read MoreWhat Not To Do When Learning Maqams [Part 2]
Imagine being able to come home from work, kick off your shoes, sit on the couch and grab your Oud, and start playing a taqsim. Or play your new favourite song even when you don’t have the notation. This may seem like a dream, but it’s more realistic than you realize. I taught myself Arabic music and figured out Arabic maqams by myself. It took a very…
Read MoreHow I learned Ear Training – Learn Music by Ear (and your voice)
In the last post, you learned about active listening. Active listening is to learn music by ear. Well today I have a story about that, which I’m sure you can relate to. I was eleven when I started learning Persian Santoor. Back then, I didn’t know the difference between scales. My teacher would play one scale for me, and then play a different one, and I couldn’t really tell what…
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