Mike's Oud Forums

Which maqams to start with?

Matt_mcg - 11-16-2007 at 05:29 AM

HI,

I'm new to the oud. I have an arabic oud and want to start practicing. Which maqams would be the commonest to begin with? Is there a general progression that beginning players might work through?

In the way, for example, that a western musician might start with C major and then work through the various major keys and their relative minors?

thanks!

Matt

MatthewW - 11-16-2007 at 06:28 AM

Hi Matt. I think the best way to get into playing maqams this very moment is to go to the 'Learn To Play' section of this website, pull up a chair, get your oud, and you will find a good selection of commonly used maqams, presented at different speeds and variations. Just play along bud! I reckon quite a few oud players in this forum got good mileage from this section! The tuning used in the clips is one of the Arabic ones, low to high- C,F,A,D,G,C. Once you got this section under your belt ( or risha) you'll be well on your way!;)

Sazi - 11-16-2007 at 01:11 PM

Hi Matt, and welcome. Good advice from MatthewW, but just to clarify a point, by "low to high" he means bass to treble, some people mean as you see them on the oud, - i.e. the other way around! Good luck with your ouding;)

Matt_mcg - 11-19-2007 at 04:14 AM

Thanks.

No problem re: the 'low to high' terminology. I've been playing guitar for 20 years, so I am used to thinking that way round. My oud is tuned CFADGC also.

Thanks for the advice.

journeyman - 11-19-2007 at 12:42 PM

Most people start with rast on C.

zalzal - 11-19-2007 at 12:56 PM

With C you can work fwg series of maqams
Rast
Suznak
Nairuz
Nahawand
Nawa Athar
Nikriz
Athar Kurd
Hijaz Kar Kurd

Nice, 8 modes available to decline a scale on C. (western has only two major and minor)

For a fretted guitarrist not used with quarter tones just try to find properly the 1/4 ton.
E 1/4 is more or less in the middle of D and F. Just after the E1/2 and before the E.
A 1/4 is just below E 1/4

(Me, i am still searching the quarter tone)

http://www.maqamworld.com has all you want to know on maqams

Kenny - 11-27-2007 at 09:37 AM

Kind of a non-sequetor...I have my oud tuned to E-A-B-E-A-D. I'm also a beginner. Would you say I'm at any sort of disadvantage with this tuning for playing Arabic style? I really like it, but then again, I have not really ventured very far from it.

SamirCanada - 11-27-2007 at 10:33 AM

I would say yes your at a disadvantage.
you should use the arabic tuning for arabic style playing.

C F A d g c base to trebble is the tuning used by most professional players.