We are still in Egypt. Riadh Al-Sunbati and Muhammad Al-Qasabgi both appeared a few days ago, when we discussed Umm Kulthoum. They are discussed here in a little more detail. Both have played a role in shaping Arabic music in the modern period and both are important oud players to study. Read the rest…
Farid El-Atrash (also spelled Atrache)
For the oud player, Farid is someone who needs to be learned thoroughly. Listening to his recordings, watching videos of his playing, and, no less importantly, knowing his life. Read the rest…
Continuing with Egyptian music..
Abdul Halim Hafez
In addition to the recordings that will be listed below, it is worth checking out “Halim”, the feature film about the great singer’s life. I believe it is now available on DVD with English subtitles. Don’t know about other languages. The film is fairly well made and true to the facts, as far as I know them. Read the rest…
More Egyptian artists:
Abdel Wahab
The great composer and singer, arguably the greatest in the twentieth century, has composed and performed a lot. The necessary listening list should reflect a variety of his works. Some were already mentioned: the songs he composed for Umm Kulthoum, of which five were recommended. His vocal works written for other singers (for example Abdel-Halim Hafez) will be listed under the sections for those artists. Read the rest…
In this long series of posts we will try to accomplish two goals:
1- Build a library of essential recordings that every oud player intending to know the Arabic repertoire and have an ear for the style.
2- Build a repertoire list of art pieces that every oud player needs to know. These pieces will reflect the variety of styles in the Arab world as well as reflect the basic set of oud techniques.
Please note that a large amount of subjectivity is involved in attempting to do such a thing. I welcome your comments, suggestions, and additions to the list.
Several web stores sell CDs and / or sell downloadable music. Choose your favorite stores or do a web search to find a store. Read the rest…
In part 1, the process of tuning the oud was discussed. Of the methods suggested, some do not require using the ear, namely the methods that employ electronic tuners. Others require using the ear to “match pitch” where you match the tuning of the string to a pitch provided by another instrument. The preferred method, however, requires using the ears to determine the tuning based on relationships between strings. This method requires more refined interval hearing skills than the others.
The question that many students ask is how does one improve their ability to hear intervals and relations between pitches and especially in Arabic music which contains micro-tonalities that are smaller than the equal tempered semitone? This is important not only for tuning the instrument but also for playing in tune, and being able to identify accurately what one is hearing. Read the rest…
Part 1 compared methods of tuning the oud, in terms of accuracy of results, implications on the learning process of the oud player, and discussed some practical considerations.
Whatever approach to tuning you may choose, there are things you can do to keep the oud in tune longer. This post discusses steps to take before installing new strings on the oud. Several steps taken here can affect the tunability of the oud. Read the rest…
Like any other acoustic instrument, the oud needs to be in tune at all times during performance or practice. The question is how best to tune it.
If you are looking for the best tuning to use, refer to this essay which compares different tunings. You can choose the one that suits your needs best. This post applies to all tunings. Read the rest…
Disclaimer: Do not take this article to say that I am a day older than twenty five.
Having gotten the vanity part out of the way:
This is a question that often comes up. How to transcribe Arabic music in Western notation.
The first step is to discuss the symbols for quarter tones. Notice that the term “quarter tones” is an abstraction that refers to notes that divide the western half step. In Arabic music, the half step is not the same as the western equal tempered half step, and the quarter tones are not equal divisions of the half step. It is an abstraction, and the the exact intonation depends on the maqam in which they appear. At any rate, here are the symbols for flats with a representation of their relative intonation: Read the rest…