Brian Prunka
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Simon Shaheen demonstrations
Taqsim Nahawand
| Quote: | In 1985-86 Simon Shaheen recorded 34 examples of repertoire for ‘ud students as a part of the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Fellowship Grant awarded to
Esther Warkov by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts. These examples include classical genres (sama‘i, bashraf, tahmilla, longa, muwashah),
compositions by mainstream Arab composers, and taqasim improvisations—all performed as models for ‘ud students.
Recorded on tape cassettes, the examples were digitized in 2016 by the University of Washington Ethnomusicology Archives upon Esther Warkov’s
request. Esther Warkov, Ph.D. and ethnomusicologist, is issuing these 34 examples for the benefit of ‘ud students. These recordings also document
Shaheen’s approach to student level ‘ud repertoire at that time.
Prior to receiving this grant in 1985, Esther Warkov met with Simon Shaheen from October 1979 to March 1980, before he immigrated to the United
States. Warkov also interviewed Simon Shaheen’s father, the distinguished musician Hickmat Shaheen, at the family home in Haifa, Israel, where she
was a regular guest.
While in Haifa, Warkov observed Arab musical life in the region, attended haflat (parties with live music) with the Shaheen family, recorded Simon’s
rehearsals, public performances, and playing sessions for friends.
One such session was with qanun virtuoso Avrham Salman. Recorded in 1980, this session recording can be heard on the Music for Peace in the Middle
East YouTube Channel. One qanun taqsim from this session can be heard on Taqasim: Instrumental Improvisation in Near Eastern Traditions for the
Anthology of Musical Traditions in Israel and includes an analysis of modulations to other maqamat. bit.ly/1TjorE9
In 1980 Simon Shaheen recorded an extended ‘ud taqsim in maqam hijaz for the publication Taqasim: Instrumental Improvisation in Near Eastern
Traditions for the Anthology of Musical Traditions in Israel (recordings and commentaries by Esther Warkov). This recording includes a selection from
a concert Shaheen gave in Haifa in 1980 with Taiseer Elias, then a rising star, and now a renowned performer, conductor, and educator.
bit.ly/1TjorE9
The Shaheen family’s contribution to musical life is discussed in “An Introduction to the Social Organization of Urban Arabic Music in the Israeli
Arab Community” in Esther Warkov’s doctoral dissertation entitled The Urban Repertoire of Jewish Professional Musicians in Iraq and Israel:
Instrumental Improvisation and Culture Change. (Read http://bit.ly/1niES7r beginning at p.333). Before recording the 34 examples in 1985-6, Shaheen also recorded 10 examples of ‘ud repertoire in
1980 that will be part of this series.
In 1979-80 Simon Shaheen also recorded several interviews with Warkov about taqsim improvisation which are available at the University of Washington
Ethnomusicology Archives and at the National Library of Israel Archives.
Warkov received recordings of Shaheen’s concerts through 1992. All together, the recordings provide a unique glimpse of Simon Shaheen’s musical
aesthetic from 1979 -1992.
“Simon Shaheen’s student repertoire is valuable for students who want learn classics from the Arabic music repertoire. But his taqasim,
especially those performed and recorded at intimate gathering in 1980, are profoundly moving. Simon Shaheen generously gave the gift of his music so
we listeners could experience an exalted state known as tarab. Although almost 40 years have passed, these experiences are unforgettable because Simon
Shaheen transported us to a world that transcends time.”
—Esther Warkov, Ph.D., 2017 |
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MattOud
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SO very beautiful!
Looks like they have uploaded 4 studies in total. I wonder if they will all go up. WOW!
Thanx for sharing the link.
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
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I am told the plan is to upload them all. Fingers crossed! What a great resource this will be.
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1373
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: California
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I would love to get these on my computer. Can anyone recommend a reliable tool for downloading mp3s and videos from Youtube and other internet sites?
Until recently I used Peggo. But now that website has been taken over by pirates and bandits. Download from there at your peril!
thanks!
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alim
Oud Junkie
Posts: 154
Registered: 5-25-2004
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Jody,
I have successfully (and safely) used the add-on/plug-in from http://www.downloadhelper.net/ to download videos from youtube and other sites. I used it as an add-on to firefox, and it looks like they have an
add-on for chrome as well.
Cheers,
Ali-
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MattOud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 298
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Location: Ontario, Canada
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Mood: Feeling Pretty G'Oud
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Hi Jody,
A nice way to make MP3's I find works wonderfully:
http://convert2mp3.net/en/index.php
You just paste the URL of the youtube and save.
However, I like to watch these online as well because i can use the free extension called 'transpose,pitch, loop for videos' which you can slow down
the speed bigtime which i find helpful.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/transpose-pitch-loop-for/i...
These videos are great! I have been working on the nahawand ones and have learned alot already.
I love how these seem to be in standard arabic tuning as well. Make it much easier to try to 'mimic'!
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1373
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: California
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Thank you alim and MattOud, Matt, it's *not* safe, at least not when using Safari. Click on convert and immediately one is taken to a bogus page,
masquerading as something legitimate. Which fake page is unpredictable. Meanwhile the conversion has taken place and the file may be safely downloaded
but my Norton virus protection went berserk over this one! I got out of there quick.
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MattOud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 298
Registered: 1-18-2017
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Mood: Feeling Pretty G'Oud
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jody,
I am so sorry to mislead you if this is the case! I feel sick to think i could have sent someone to see something they shouldn't.
I hate the internet for that reason!
I am a networking tech and have locked down my system in such a way that i can navigate with no issues many sites that i guess are actually rogue
sites without me knowing.
In chrome(which i use now) i use the following extensions to prevent what you have experienced:
1. metacert, parental controls and web filter- this is #1 since i have 3 kids to try to protect!!! This is set to the strictest level!
2. Adblock
3.Adblock plus - i use both as i find one doesn't do what the both can do.
Again, my sincere apologies to you and anyone else who may have tried and found the above link 'rogue'! Thanx goodness for Norton!
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Mike
Super Administrator
Posts: 1568
Registered: 12-3-2002
Location: California, USA
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Mood: Happy
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Wonderful BP! Thanks for sharing bud.
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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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Jody, there is an app called youtube to mp3. It's safe, is updated regularly and can download the audio portion of videos from youtube or vimeo.
I agree the website converters are not safe.
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1373
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: California
Member Is Offline
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Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  | Jody, there is an app called youtube to mp3. It's safe, is updated regularly and can download the audio portion of videos from youtube or vimeo.
I agree the website converters are not safe.
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Thanks Brian. The only thing of that name I can find is a website converter. How do I find it as an app?
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1373
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: California
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Don't fret about, Matt (ouds have no frets and neither should oudists). No harm came to my computer.
(btw I had to come back to this and edit it. My stupid computer had changed oudists to "audits' !)
| Quote: Originally posted by MattOud | jody,
I am so sorry to mislead you if this is the case! I feel sick to think i could have sent someone to see something they shouldn't.
I hate the internet for that reason!
I am a networking tech and have locked down my system in such a way that i can navigate with no issues many sites that i guess are actually rogue
sites without me knowing.
In chrome(which i use now) i use the following extensions to prevent what you have experienced:
1. metacert, parental controls and web filter- this is #1 since i have 3 kids to try to protect!!! This is set to the strictest level!
2. Adblock
3.Adblock plus - i use both as i find one doesn't do what the both can do.
Again, my sincere apologies to you and anyone else who may have tried and found the above link 'rogue'! Thanx goodness for Norton!
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2939
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Stringish
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| Quote: Originally posted by Jody Stecher | | Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka | Jody, there is an app called youtube to mp3. It's safe, is updated regularly and can download the audio portion of videos from youtube or vimeo.
I agree the website converters are not safe.
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Thanks Brian. The only thing of that name I can find is a website converter. How do I find it as an app? |
https://www.mediahuman.com/youtube-to-mp3-converter/
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1373
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: California
Member Is Offline
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It works! No muss, no fuss, no virus. Thanks, Brian.
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alejofar
Oud Addict
Posts: 38
Registered: 9-23-2011
Member Is Offline
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Adjusting pitch
Awesome! Thanks Brian.
Also, what do you use to change the pitch? I noticed these are slightly flatter than A440. Any suggestions for adjusting the pitch?
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MattOud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 298
Registered: 1-18-2017
Location: Ontario, Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: Feeling Pretty G'Oud
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up to #12 now. Fantastic!
*Note: It has been noted in comments that since these are off a tape source, the sound is a tad slower than normal. If one wishes, this can be easily
fixed in audacity. I am cleaning these up as i go as well and removing noise hiss....
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