Hello all! Improv time!

Hey all.

Firstly, I'm new. Not as in new to this forum mind you, I've been lurking around these forums for a while and just spying really. But I've just registered today.

I suppose now is as apt a time as any to talk about musical stuff, past experience and what not. Okay, I'm nearly 22, starting playing the guitar when I was about 16. I'm pretty good at it, not grand, but a few years ago I decided to branch out and play something a little closer to my roots, being Khaliji and what not, but not too far out of my comfort zone.

I bought an Oud. And the experience was freaking horrible. There were so many strings, so hard to tune, it was fretless and what's this? MICROTONES? Dear Lord of all that's holy! I can't even tune this damn thing, never mind flail around like a monkey with poor motor skills!

So, naturally, I put it down for a while. Then, just before Ramadan last year I think, I saw a video of Farid al-Atrash. You all know the one, where he plays something flamenco sounding, accompanying lightning fast picking on the high strings while droning a bass-line at the same, and just looking bleeding nonchalant about the whole thing.

So I picked it up again. I've been playing for just over a year. This is where you people come in. I'm pretty much forced to self-teach (with much help from http://www.maqamworld.com and a little from you folks), because I study in the UK and any music school that might have me back home is closed during the holidays. And obviously being in the UK means I don't really come across any Oud players. So I need some help here, some dialogue.

http://www.mediafire.com/?rvu3c3639555a4e

I'd be very much appreciative if anyone would please scrutinize my playing from a mostly technical standpoint. I'm fully aware of how badly I butchered the transitioning between maqamat in my reckless abandon. 'Twas ntentional because I wanted to focus on technique and partly because I want to study the rules behind taksim a little more before making a serious effort, hence the reason I simply called it 'Improv' and not 'Taksim'.

Go ahead, let 'er rip. I probably need it. No worries, I've got my internetz helmet on for this occasion.

Welcome to this wonderful forum Obsidian
You will enjoy this place without a doubt.
As you asked for some comment on your improv I will try.
Just like me and so many of us you have come from the guitar, and just like me a few years ago you sound like a guitar player who has picked up an oud and had a blast.
Good for you, its the best way to begin in my opinion.
Regarding your technique, you have more than enough to make a good taqsim all thats missing is the flavour of musical style. In the end oud music improv and taqsim depends alot on what you can make of a few notes i.e. take Hijaz d, e flat f sharp and g. Now see what you can construct or improvise with just those notes, dont be tempted to wander around the oud or include any other notes, thats guitar playing. Next move to g,a, b flat and c, do the same, return to the first group and finish. Around 30 seconds on each group of notes and you have a 1min 30sec taqsim. Now explore like crazy within this framework, copy others big time and also do your own thing. You will get sucked into the oud, before long it will play you as much as you play it. You have ability and are closer to playing meaningful oud music than you probably think. Its a long road, never ending really. Enjoy and thank you for boldly sharing your beginnings.

Quote: Originally posted by charlie oud

Welcome to this wonderful forum Obsidian You will enjoy this place without a doubt. As you asked for some comment on your improv I will try. Just like me and so many of us you have come from the guitar, and just like me a few years ago you sound like a guitar player who has picked up an oud and had a blast. Good for you, its the best way to begin in my opinion. Regarding your technique, you have more than enough to make a good taqsim all thats missing is the flavour of musical style. In the end oud music improv and taqsim depends alot on what you can make of a few notes i.e. take Hijaz d, e flat f sharp and g. Now see what you can construct or improvise with just those notes, dont be tempted to wander around the oud or include any other notes, thats guitar playing. Next move to g,a, b flat and c, do the same, return to the first group and finish. Around 30 seconds on each group of notes and you have a 1min 30sec taqsim. Now explore like crazy within this framework, copy others big time and also do your own thing. You will get sucked into the oud, before long it will play you as much as you play it. You have ability and are closer to playing meaningful oud music than you probably think. Its a long road, never ending really. Enjoy and thank you for boldly sharing your beginnings.

Quote: Originally posted by Khalid_Salé

Hi there, Listen to a lot of master Cinucen Tanrikorur, who was a real master of making a few notes do a lot, and who above all played the oud like an oud, very far away from the guitar style and exploiting the instrument's unique potentials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrNeK6AH9q0&feature=relmfu (The video lecture series that one's from is required watching for students of maqam music.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8QPaCSWBUg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Cb7EQbo5g&feature=relmfu Etc. One of the best players now is Necati Celik, a student of Tanrikorur. Here he plays one of Tanrikorur's famous compositions with a short taksim at the start, with some camera angles to help see what's going on, which should help a bit with the ornaments: [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu1s_jJJ8Dw

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Thanks a bunch Khalid, I actually remember seeing that first video ages ago and I've been trying to find it again. Now I have a name to look up. Thanks a bunch.