Mike's Oud Forums

One Finger Technique

Brian Prunka - 9-26-2020 at 02:20 PM

Hey Mikeoudis!
Thought some people might be interested in a little tutorial video I posted on what I call the "one finger ornament" . . . it's an intermediate technique that adds character to a variety of maqamat. I demonstrate some examples from Farid, Simon Shaheen and George Michel.

Take a look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6wTEGblIvQ

MoH - 9-27-2020 at 08:00 PM

Awesome stuff, Brian! That was super helpful.

SamirCanada - 9-28-2020 at 03:16 AM

Awesome video. Good stuff Brian. I really hope you can make more of these and share your knowledge.

The title though... It's rather sexual. :D

suz_i_dil - 9-28-2020 at 06:14 AM

super nice, thanks !
made me realized the semi tone glissando we hear a lot in Munir Bashir playing can have its influence from those oldies players heritage

suite al andalouse

abousammy - 9-28-2020 at 08:44 AM

hi all,
im' looking for suite al andlaouse sheet music ; Marcel khalife
thanks in advance

Brian Prunka - 9-28-2020 at 11:32 AM

Quote: Originally posted by SamirCanada  
Awesome video. Good stuff Brian. I really hope you can make more of these and share your knowledge.

The title though... It's rather sexual. :D


Hey brother, get your mind out of the gutter! haha

thanks, I'm glad people seem to be getting something out of it. I'm definitely planning a bunch more of these!

MattOud - 9-28-2020 at 12:21 PM

This is rally GREAT Brian! So much valuable playing to study in one video!
I have to say, I am really glad to see you making these videos. I like the commentary as well.
There are alot of things I didn't understand on how some maqams can blend together, and this is helpful in that regard as well. I will be watching this and copying some of these techniques to learn from!
btw- what luthier/OUD are you playing here? it sounds really nice!
Cheers,
Matt

Brian Prunka - 9-28-2020 at 01:25 PM

Quote: Originally posted by MattOud  
This is rally GREAT Brian! So much valuable playing to study in one video!
I have to say, I am really glad to see you making these videos. I like the commentary as well.
There are alot of things I didn't understand on how some maqams can blend together, and this is helpful in that regard as well. I will be watching this and copying some of these techniques to learn from!
btw- what luthier/OUD are you playing here? it sounds really nice!
Cheers,
Matt


Thanks, Matt! I'm glad to hear it. The oud I'm playing is by Peter Sayegh; I think he is one of the best oud makers today for making really classic "sharqi" sounding ouds. He made this one for me a couple of years ago and I love it.

norumba - 10-27-2020 at 05:19 PM

Nice, i really like getting the clarity on this techniques application in maqams!!

I find myself doing a lot of one finger sliding , but thats a holdover/reflex from my time on the sarod.

elreyrico - 11-8-2020 at 01:30 AM

Hi
Thanks for this very nice video.

I was wondering if it is used also for Sabah. I mean for the hijaz tetrachord that is starting of F in Sabah:
- for the first big semitone "F-Gflat" (that is close to the jiharka flavor i think ?)
- and/or for the last semitone "A-Bflat"

Has anyone tried that ?

Brian Prunka - 11-8-2020 at 10:45 AM

This is a good question! I think you could, but examples from recordings are not leaping to mind. I'll see if I can find some examples.

Brian Prunka - 11-12-2020 at 11:37 AM

Quote: Originally posted by elreyrico  
Hi
Thanks for this very nice video.

I was wondering if it is used also for Sabah. I mean for the hijaz tetrachord that is starting of F in Sabah:
- for the first big semitone "F-Gflat" (that is close to the jiharka flavor i think ?)
- and/or for the last semitone "A-Bflat"

Has anyone tried that ?


So I did some additional research. My initial feeling was that I wasn't in the habit of doing this and wasn't sure whether that was an oversight on my part or just a reflection that I hadn't found it to be something my teachers did or that I heard in recordings.

It's tough to find good taqasim in Saba by "canonical" players like Farid, Sounbati, Qasabgi, etc. Most use of Saba in taqasim is in a modulation in the context of another maqam, so I'm going to have to take a little more time to review some other taqasim to have a more definitive answer.

Qasabgi has one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNvSfnkJYXg
He does not use this ornament between 3&4 when playing Saba, as far as I could tell (the recording is not great quality but it doesn't sound like he does it). He does sound like he uses it briefly one time in the upper register between 5&6 (so in the same place you'd expect if you were in Bayati).

Abdel Fattah Sabri has one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r58MhOUpEj0

He doesn't seem to use it either between 3&4. I didn't notice him use it between 5&6 either.

Musiqana has a lovely set of examples of Saba phrases and one of the players does use it once or twice between 3&4 as a very quick, subtle ornament. But of all the ways those notes are played, he almost never does it, choosing a bunch of other ornaments instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khHSXOPcbyc

All this suggests to me that as a technique it's not "characteristic" of Saba, in that it doesn't really help establish the maqam—there are other ornaments that are part of Saba's character. However, it's not necessarily detrimental either, so you could use it. You probably want to make sure not to overshadow the more classic Saba ornamentation though.



MattOud - 8-7-2021 at 03:09 PM

Hi Brian,
I was noodling around on some of your tutorials today. I like the 'The Turn' tutorial.
Hope you have time to make some more when you can...
cheers,
Matt

DaveH - 8-11-2021 at 05:15 AM

Great to see this explained so clearly, Brian, and in the context of specific maqams. And your playing is as clean as the explanations. The other episodes also look super interesting.

Brian Prunka - 8-11-2021 at 11:33 AM

Hey guys, thanks for your comments. Unfortunately I've been dealing with a difficult family situation the past few months and I haven't been able to follow up with the videos or newsletter lately, but I have been planning some new segments and material and hope to be able to share soon. I'm glad the stuff I shared so far has been helpful!

Brian Prunka - 8-14-2021 at 08:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by elreyrico  
Hi
Thanks for this very nice video.

I was wondering if it is used also for Sabah. I mean for the hijaz tetrachord that is starting of F in Sabah:
- for the first big semitone "F-Gflat" (that is close to the jiharka flavor i think ?)
- and/or for the last semitone "A-Bflat"

Has anyone tried that ?


I was listening to a recording today of a taqsim by William Shaheen (Simon's younger brother) and he uses a version of this technique in modulating from bayati to saba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vapk7mFG0p8
(from about 3:17)