kom
Oud Admirer
Posts: 3
Registered: 12-21-2021
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What does the Oud mean to you?
After some time away, I've started to play the Oud again and have committed to daily work and listening to all kinds of middle eastern music. As this
evolves, I've noticed that playing and practicing have become much more important to me, and the Oud has taken on new meaning.
It got me thinking of this question for all of you - What does the Oud mean to you?
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joseph
Oud Maniac
Posts: 62
Registered: 6-22-2004
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Hi Kom,
It is a good question but really difficult to answer because it is like falling in love with someone. It is possible to try to think about the reasons
but in the end it remains subjective and personal, The answers never seem to be adequate enough. The reasons can also change over time.
For me, for example, the journey started with a coincidence and with vague aims like a way to relax after work and learn something new, but it grew
as a means to have a stronger interest in music, connection with the best aspects of Arabic culture, and the great Arabic oud players and composers
present and past.
The meaning comes from the daily experience. One day you listen to playing by Riyadh al Sunbati or Qasabji or Simon Shaheen for the first time and it
opens a new world to what is possible. Most of us will never arrive anywhere near that level, but it is a great journey to embark on.
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joseph
Oud Maniac
Posts: 62
Registered: 6-22-2004
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Oud advice from a creative writing class.
Hi,
I wanted to share this thought with others to see what they think about this. I remember the advice that I heard in creative writing classes when we
were told never to share our writing and the draft versions specially with family and friends. I wonder if this advice applies to oud playing in
general too that we can offer it to beginning players of the oud . On the one hand we would like to get the experience of playing in front of others,
but on the other hand we don't want this experience to be so negative that it becomes a discouragement to further learning. In my personal experience
I would now think this advice applies, and I think that I should have not played in front of others specially in the earlier years of learning. I am
keen however to hear some discussion about this. Here are some of my reasons.
1. Most people are not really not that interested in music or particularly good at listening in general. It is easy to think otherwise when we have a
strong interest in music, and imagine that is a common trait.
2. Even among those who like music and are good listeners, we are strongly conditioned these days to a band sound, that playing the same songs using
a solo instrument does not interest most people.
3. Solo performance that engages attention on any instrument is extremely difficult but exceptional players make it look easy. As beginners we make
many mistakes, but even with few mistakes the playing is never engaging enough.
4. The oud sound that is so warm and beautiful in a small bed room at home and on a quiet night becomes so unremarkable in a noisy setting that others
would start wondering what attracts you to this soft instrument, and you might to start to wonder yourself.
For this reason my tentative advice is to play only in front of your teacher and musician friends who share the same learning process. If playing in
front of others, play preferably as part of a group that provides backup, or if you can't avoid playing solo, choose something that is simple and
short.
What does everyone think?
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joseph
Oud Maniac
Posts: 62
Registered: 6-22-2004
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Mood: No Mood
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Quote: Originally posted by joseph  | Hi,
I wanted to share this thought with others to see what they think about this. I remember the advice that I heard in creative writing classes when we
were told never to share our writing and the draft versions specially with family and friends. I wonder if this advice applies to oud playing in
general too that we can offer it to beginning players of the oud . On the one hand we would like to get the experience of playing in front of others,
but on the other hand we don't want this experience to be so negative that it becomes a discouragement to further learning. In my personal experience
I would now think this advice applies, and I think that I should have not played in front of others specially in the earlier years of learning. I am
keen however to hear some discussion about this. Here are some of my reasons.
1. Most people are not really not that interested in music or particularly good at listening in general. It is easy to think otherwise when we have a
strong interest in music, and imagine that is a common trait.
2. Even among those who like music and are good listeners, we are strongly conditioned these days to a band sound, that playing the same songs using
a solo instrument does not interest most people.
3. Solo performance that engages attention on any instrument is extremely difficult but exceptional players make it look easy. As beginners we make
many mistakes, but even with few mistakes the playing is never engaging enough.
4. The oud sound that is so warm and beautiful in a small bed room at home and on a quiet night becomes so unremarkable in a noisy setting that others
would start wondering what attracts you to this soft instrument, and you might to start to wonder yourself.
For this reason my tentative advice is to play only in front of your teacher and musician friends who share the same learning process. If playing in
front of others, play preferably as part of a group that provides backup, or if you can't avoid playing solo, choose something that is simple and
short.
What does everyone think? |
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joseph
Oud Maniac
Posts: 62
Registered: 6-22-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Message to moderator. Could you please delete my last posts to this thread. They have been added to this thread by mistake. My apologies, joseph
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thefsb
Oud Lover
Posts: 11
Registered: 12-31-2021
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I've played guitar 40 years and just getting started with oud. To me it means learning to play mixed composed/improvised melody on a fret-less
instrument, which makes micro-tones and smooth glissandi easier.
But first I need to get the oud to stay in tune. >8^((
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