Jason
Oud Junkie
Posts: 734
Registered: 9-17-2005
Location: Louisville, KY
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Mood: Loving my oud
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Building repertoire for a group
What are some tunes you have used when first getting a group together? A few local people have contacted me about playing together. I've learned
lots of 'oud songs' but I'm sure I have missed a lot of ensemble tunes that maybe don't work so well with just an oud.
I don't think these people have much experience with near east music so I'd like to keep it fairly simple and use things that I can get sheet music
for.
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Christian1095
Oud Junkie
Posts: 454
Registered: 4-29-2008
Location: North Carolina, USA
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check out Dorku.com -- a lot of the songs from Carmine's "Simplified Middle Eastern Songs" can be adapted for an ensemble... Also, the sheet music
is avaialable in different keys (Flute, Clarinet, etc...)
Chris Walters
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Jason
Oud Junkie
Posts: 734
Registered: 9-17-2005
Location: Louisville, KY
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Mood: Loving my oud
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I'll check it out. I guess I was looking for more specific suggestions.
So far I've sent them Longa Riad, Longa Nahawand, and Bashraf Farahfaza
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John Erlich
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1470
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Location: California, USA
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Jason,
If they are beginners in Near Eastern music, maybe start with some folk or popular songs to help get the "feel" of the music before delving into
Ottoman Classical Music?
For example, how about "Nassam Alayna Al Hawa" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXEVquLJhRE)? The song was sung and popularized by Fairuz. I can try to scan my sheet music and post a PDF of
this one if you can't find it.
Good luck!
Best,
John
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2939
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Mood: Stringish
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Raqsat el-Jamal is a good one.
Do you have the Mohammed abd el Wahab instrumental pieces? Those are all good. I like Khatwat Habibi; Aziza and Zeina are good, too, and Balad il
Mahbub.
Zikrayat (Qassabji) is a great one, so's Touta (Farid). Many of these you can find sheet music around for.
Tahmila Suznak and/or Tahmila Bayati are good ones too.
Bint al Shalabiyya is another one.
All the tunes on Bil Afrah are good too, especially Qasqiss Waraq and Raqset Tahiyyat. Shirak is really easy and fun.
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John Erlich
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1470
Registered: 8-26-2004
Location: California, USA
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Mood: Oud-Obsessed
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I agree with most of Brian's recommendations as "intermediate"-level repertoire, though I still recommend starting with simpler songs to get the feel
of the music. I would add Mohammed Abdelwahab's "Bint El Balad." Many of these are available on Issa Boulos' sheet music archive.
For the simpler songs, you could buy a collection such as Wassim Noujeim's: http://www.arabicmusicalscores.com/bookstore.php?a=1&cat=1 This collection includes plenty of debkas, muwwashahat, and other simple-ish songs
to get you started. (See also: http://www.maqam.com/arabicmusic_instruction.html)
However, as important as I believe it is to be able to read music, I strongly suggest that you switch over to learning songs by ear as soon as
possible. Maybe as soon as you (by "you" I mean "y'all") have a basic understanding of maqamat? You will find this helpful for 3 reasons: 1)
Arabic/Turkish/etc. music, like jazz, is full of improvisation and it is hard to notate the feel of the music; 2) Arabic music in particular in a more
oral tradition and you will find the ear training involving in learning songs from recordings extremely helpful; 3) In my experience, my band learns
songs faster and retain them better when we learn by ear.
Although these Egyptian oud/percussion recordings are by no means exciting listening, I think that they are an excellent introduction to Arabic-style
melody embellishment: http://www.israel-music.com/saeed_issa/
Good luck,
John
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2939
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Mood: Stringish
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Bint el Belad is a good suggestion, I forgot about that one.
John's right about learning simple/folkloric pieces.
Qaddukal Mayyas is a good one. The "Bil Afrah" pieces are mostly simpler pieces, too.
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Christian1095
Oud Junkie
Posts: 454
Registered: 4-29-2008
Location: North Carolina, USA
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Mood: No Mood
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Jason, what instruments will you have playing together?
Mevlana worked well for Oud and Guitar (oud plays melody and guitar chords)
Rumeli Karsilimasi worked well for Oud and Mandolin
Caravan (Raqy and the Caveman) - Oud and Bass Guitar
Chris Walters
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Jason
Oud Junkie
Posts: 734
Registered: 9-17-2005
Location: Louisville, KY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Loving my oud
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Excellent advice guys... many thanks. I think I definitely have a great starting point. I plan on posting my experience as I bring things
together.
So far I have two percussionists interested in playing. Both of them went to school for music and have a lot of experience with hand drums (although
I wish I could find someone like JT's bro!). Hopefully I'll be able to contact some people with a little more experience in near east music though.
I'm still very much a 'student' when it comes to oud music... I think it will be a long time before I'm prepared to be a teacher to anyone 
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