NeighborOud
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Your first maqam?
Hi All,
I just joined the board, and I am learning the basics of arabic music and, of course, getting familiar with playing the oud. I have been an amateur
musician for many years, and play many stringed instruments.
What was the first maqam you guys learned?
Which would you suggest for a starter?
Many thanks.
François.
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Lysander
Oud Junkie
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First was Nahawand [even though I didn't actually know it was that at the time, I was just playing about and discovered it]. It's a very versatile
maqam emotionally and can sound upbeat or introspective depending on how it's played. Its fingering is also relatively simple [certainly in my tuning
of C#F#BEAD on Turkish] due to the even spacing between the notes and no 1.5 tone jumps.
I spent some time just playing between Nahawand and Hijaz, because Hijaz can sound very 'mysterious' and emotional, even when played slowly... and
from Hijaz it's a very short distance to Shehnaz or Kurd.
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FilipHolm
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Definitely Nahawand or Hijaz. They also work great together.
Try starting with the non-micronote Maqams. That stuff can be confusing at first.
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Jody Stecher
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Rast.
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suz_i_dil
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My first was ajam, with some exercices around it. This to catch the natural notes on the fingerboard. After this one my teacher began to introduce
rast
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suz_i_dil
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My first was ajam, with somme exercices around it. This to catch the natural notes on the fingerboard. After this one my teacher began to introduce
rast
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Bakr Dagher
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Yes I agree with you guys , Ajam is the 1st madam to begin with, as it is a bit familiar for non arabic ppl , 
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Jody Stecher
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There were two questions: What maqam did each of us start with? And what was recommended as a starting maqam. Rast was the first Arabic maqam in which
I learned composed pieces and in which I attempted simple taqsim. In fact I played Ajam first but only exercises and patterns. I did Ajam from C, from
F, and from B flat, which is still my favorite Ajam place and then also from G, D and A etc.
As for which is *best* to start with, I'd say it depends on the individual. For someone very familiar with maqam music, one should systematically
begin right away with technique and fingering, first in Ajam from C. For someone new to both oud and to middle eastern music it might be better to
attempt whatever one fancies at first, to explore freely and play whatever one feels. One need not have the skill and artistry of Ara Dinkjian to do
this. Then after a few days of messing around, the oud is no longer a foreign object, and the student can buckle down and get to work.
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majnuunNavid
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I started with a non-microtonal variant of Hijaz. It is easier to find the quartertones after learning where the notes are on the fingerboard. Ajam is
also a great suggestion, because once you learn Ajam, finding the quartertones of Rast is easier. Then once you know Rast, it will be easy to find the
notes for Bayati, and Sikah.
I agree about Nahawand, it is easier to approach because of the non-microtonal aspect. however it is probably less straight forward because its nature
involves a shift, or an accidental note on descending patterns. Listen to different Sama'i Nahawand and you'll become more familiar with it.
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suz_i_dil
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Bakr, this is not only because familiar or not to western ears. It is a usual pedagogy, on any instrument to learn naturels notes before
altérations. I mean it is from those notes you will learn to put correctly your left hand. And correct position is important to play then
altérations and moreover microtones
If not learn correctly you may get false tunes while shifting left hand position
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NeighborOud
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For someone coming from western music Ajam can indeed be a good start point to get used to the fretless fingerboard and train her/his ears, as it is
equivalent to the simple major scale.
François
Toronto, Canada
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Erg
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I think you can learn some easy songs in ajam/major scale to train your ears and fingers. Second, you can study the maqam hijaz and nahawand. Third,
you can study Rast/Bayati maqam.
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NeighborOud
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Yes, this is exactly what I am working on!
I studied the violin for many years, that was a while ago but I am still fine with a fretless fingerboard.
François
Toronto, Canada
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Bayati4
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Ajam was mine ..
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NeighborOud
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I just got a cümbüş from a musician friend of mine, I tuned it like my oud (just 1 tone higher), and the steel strings and treble sound makes
it easy to hear the slight differences in pitch when playing quarter tones.
François
Toronto, Canada
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Microber
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I don't understand why beginning with Ajam DO.
It is not the more useful maqam to start with. Nor the easier to play.
I recommend to learn simple melodies. For me it is very important to play something nice, even on the first day.
And honestly, who plays frequently Arab or Turkish melodies in Ajam DO ?
Besides, there are plenty of very nice and simple melodies to play for a beginner in Nahawand, Kurd, Ajam Ushayran (starting from SIb).
From Nahawand, it is natural to go on Hijaz. And it's easier to understand Rast.
From Kurd, it's easy to understand Bayat.
Just my 2 cents.
Robert
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Lysander
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Quote: Originally posted by Microber  | I don't understand why beginning with Ajam DO.
It is not the more useful maqam to start with. Nor the easier to play.
I recommend to learn simple melodies. For me it is very important to play something nice, even on the first day.
And honestly, who plays frequently Arab or Turkish melodies in Ajam DO ?
Besides, there are plenty of very nice and simple melodies to play for a beginner in Nahawand, Kurd, Ajam Ushayran (starting from SIb).
From Nahawand, it is natural to go on Hijaz. And it's easier to understand Rast.
From Kurd, it's easy to understand Bayat.
Just my 2 cents.
Robert |
I'm completely with you here Robert. Though I can understand starting with Ajam from a technical perspective, I personally consider it quite dull to
make melodies with.
For starters, Hijaz, Kurd or Nahawand are far more logical and easier to make sound good.
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Microber
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I forgot to mention about Ajam DO, that you don't use your forefinger in the lowest position. So finally why not play Ajam Do, but please play other
maqamat.
I am not a teacher but I regularly see some beginners and I can say that they often have a problem with correct positioning of the four fingers in the
lowest position : one finger for one 'fret'.
So for me it's important to play fluently and in tune all the notes in the lowest position, whatever maqam it is.
But in the beginning avoid the quarter tones and the other positions.
And above all, never forget that everything you play must be beautiful.
Robert
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