Mike's Oud Forums

sheet music resources

Amos - 6-24-2018 at 05:24 PM

Hey everyone, I haven't posted in a few years and I am checking in to where folks are finding sheet music for Arabic music online these days. Any resources are appreciated, thank you!

Brian Prunka - 6-25-2018 at 06:32 AM

https://www.ahyasalam.com is good source. The sheets often have errors but are a pretty good reference in most cases.

Jono Oud N.Z - 6-27-2018 at 04:16 PM

This site is excellent:

http://www.classicalarabicmusic.com/Arabic%20Sheet%20Music.htm

I got all their eBooks - they are amazing and inexpensive.
Well worth paying for :)!

Brian Prunka - 6-27-2018 at 05:56 PM

you got all of them?!? thats like $400

Jono Oud N.Z - 6-28-2018 at 11:22 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  
you got all of them?!? thats like $400


Hey Brian :).
I downloaded the eBooks and printed (most) of the sheets out and put them in clearfiles organised by maqam.
They were only $9.95:

http://www.classicalarabicmusic.com/web_index/web%20-index_1a.html

The pieces by Jamil Owaiss are all excellent compositions as well as many, many other (largely unknown) classics.

Brian Prunka - 6-29-2018 at 06:21 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Jono Oud N.Z  
Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  
you got all of them?!? thats like $400


Hey Brian :).
I downloaded the eBooks and printed (most) of the sheets out and put them in clearfiles organised by maqam.
They were only $9.95:

http://www.classicalarabicmusic.com/web_index/web%20-index_1a.html

The pieces by Jamil Owaiss are all excellent compositions as well as many, many other (largely unknown) classics.


9.95 for one ebook though — there are about 40 ebooks of sheet music listed

Jono Oud N.Z - 6-29-2018 at 03:31 PM
Quote:

9.95 for one ebook though — there are about 40 ebooks of sheet music listed


Sorry, I later realised that I was unclear - I have the "All Classics Notations" series - 1-6.
I had forgotten that there were other books also.

John Erlich - 7-1-2018 at 08:12 AM

Hi Amos,

Welcome back!

I have posted a bunch of links in the CD & Books Reviews section. Here is one example: http://www.watar7.com/PDFModule_Details.php?ID=1 I am always open to sheet music exchanges; U2U me your email address if you are interested. I don't know what type of music you are seeking (popular, classical, etc.), but the Ah Ya Salam site mentioned above is an excellent resource for popular Arabic music. I don't exactly share Brian's opinion that the scores on Ah Ya Salam are significantly inaccurate, but I would say that some are not written at all in the way I would have done so. [The "bug up my butt" with respect to much Arabic sheet music available is not inaccuracy so much as a failure to distinguish between the "core" melody and "lazimah" added by performers. I prefer sheet music with a minimum of ornamentation, legatos, and dynamics markings (f, mf, mp, etc.) which allow/force the performer to create this him-/herself.]

All the best,
"Udi" John

Brian Prunka - 7-8-2018 at 03:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  
Hi Amos,

Welcome back!

I have posted a bunch of links in the CD & Books Reviews section. Here is one example: http://www.watar7.com/PDFModule_Details.php?ID=1 I am always open to sheet music exchanges; U2U me your email address if you are interested. I don't know what type of music you are seeking (popular, classical, etc.), but the Ah Ya Salam site mentioned above is an excellent resource for popular Arabic music. I don't exactly share Brian's opinion that the scores on Ah Ya Salam are significantly inaccurate, but I would say that some are not written at all in the way I would have done so. [The "bug up my butt" with respect to much Arabic sheet music available is not inaccuracy so much as a failure to distinguish between the "core" melody and "lazimah" added by performers. I prefer sheet music with a minimum of ornamentation, legatos, and dynamics markings (f, mf, mp, etc.) which allow/force the performer to create this him-/herself.]

All the best,
"Udi" John


Nice, thanks for sharing — I didn't see that you were posting in the other section, I never check there!

Re: Ah Ya Salam, some sheets are fine, some are full of serious mistakes (like completely wrong notes/melodies, missing sections, etc. — not just the normal variation in how one might define the 'core' melody). They're a helpful resource but you can't rely on them.

John Erlich - 7-8-2018 at 08:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  
Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  
Hi Amos,

Welcome back!

I have posted a bunch of links in the CD & Books Reviews section. Here is one example: http://www.watar7.com/PDFModule_Details.php?ID=1 I am always open to sheet music exchanges; U2U me your email address if you are interested. I don't know what type of music you are seeking (popular, classical, etc.), but the Ah Ya Salam site mentioned above is an excellent resource for popular Arabic music. I don't exactly share Brian's opinion that the scores on Ah Ya Salam are significantly inaccurate, but I would say that some are not written at all in the way I would have done so. [The "bug up my butt" with respect to much Arabic sheet music available is not inaccuracy so much as a failure to distinguish between the "core" melody and "lazimah" added by performers. I prefer sheet music with a minimum of ornamentation, legatos, and dynamics markings (f, mf, mp, etc.) which allow/force the performer to create this him-/herself.]

All the best,
"Udi" John


Nice, thanks for sharing — I didn't see that you were posting in the other section, I never check there!

Re: Ah Ya Salam, some sheets are fine, some are full of serious mistakes (like completely wrong notes/melodies, missing sections, etc. — not just the normal variation in how one might define the 'core' melody). They're a helpful resource but you can't rely on them.


I find most of Adel Samuel's scores--the largest bloc--pretty accurate and very readable. (I use them with my student frequently.) Nicola Marjieh's--the 2nd largest bloc--on the other hand, are very melodically "busy," and, in my opinion, make it quite difficult to identify the "core" melody. (I use them only when I can't find a score by anyone else.) The quality of the smattering of those by other arrangers (Tarek, Issa Buolos, Simon Shaheen, various older hand-written scores, etc.) vary. Anyway, I've leave it at that.

I have gotten my hands on a great deal of written scores recently, especially via 2 Arabic Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/101468160675149/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/oudlovers/

All the best,
"Udi" John

Brian Prunka - 7-9-2018 at 02:18 PM

John, I'm confused by your argumentativeness.

Here is what I said:
Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  
https://www.ahyasalam.com is good source. The sheets often have errors but are a pretty good reference in most cases.


Here's what you said:
Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  
I don't exactly share Brian's opinion that the scores on Ah Ya Salam are significantly inaccurate


My opinion was that "they are a pretty good reference in most cases." It sounds like you do share my opinion, so I'm not sure why you would primarily characterize it as a disagreement.

I didn't say "the scores on Ah Ya Salam are significantly inaccurate." I said that they "often have errors." It is perplexing that you would put words in my mouth in order to start a disagreement.

The existence of errors in a portion of the charts is not a simply a matter of opinion.

I suggested the site initially and commented favorably on its value, while issuing a pretty mild caveat that one can't simply rely on the transcriptions. Is that not a reasonable, balanced assessment of the situation?

I just don't understand why you would take issue with that and make it into an argument, it seems unnecessary and not helpful.

John Erlich - 7-9-2018 at 09:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  
John, I'm confused by your argumentativeness.

Here is what I said:

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  
https://www.ahyasalam.com is good source. The sheets often have errors but are a pretty good reference in most cases.


Here's what you said:
Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  
I don't exactly share Brian's opinion that the scores on Ah Ya Salam are significantly inaccurate


My opinion was that "they are a pretty good reference in most cases." It sounds like you do share my opinion, so I'm not sure why you would primarily characterize it as a disagreement.

I didn't say "the scores on Ah Ya Salam are significantly inaccurate." I said that they "often have errors." It is perplexing that you would put words in my mouth in order to start a disagreement.

The existence of errors in a portion of the charts is not a simply a matter of opinion.

I suggested the site initially and commented favorably on its value, while issuing a pretty mild caveat that one can't simply rely on the transcriptions. Is that not a reasonable, balanced assessment of the situation?

I just don't understand why you would take issue with that and make it into an argument, it seems unnecessary and not helpful.



I am sorry you feel I mischaracterized your statement. I am not interested in continuing this conversation. Thank you for your contributions.

baher2012 - 5-4-2020 at 01:31 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Jono Oud N.Z  

Quote:

9.95 for one ebook though — there are about 40 ebooks of sheet music listed


Sorry, I later realised that I was unclear - I have the "All Classics Notations" series - 1-6.
I had forgotten that there were other books also.



Can you share it with us?