Monty88
Oud Junkie
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Oud seminar in Crete
Hi everyone,
Just out of curiosity, who here was lucky enough to attend the oud seminar by Yurdal Tokcan in Crete? Mavrothis, it was a pleasure to meet you there.
I was the left-handed guy playng Ross's faruk oud ). Did you do anymore seminars
while you were there?
Heres a nice pic of a shop i went to in Istanbul!
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
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Hey buddy,
It was a pleasure to meet you too. I have to say that the ud seminar and the
whole experience in Houdetsi was probably the best experience I've ever had, especially musically. I stayed a few extra days to try and soak in some
of the massive amounts of info that Yurdal and Goksel were trying to pass on in such a short time, but couldn't go to any other seminars. Next year I
hope I can make it again though. Hopefully we will spend more time on makams.
Yurdal Tokcan is amazing. An incredible player who is also a very organized and dedicated teacher (and a hilarious guy too!) - the same can be said
for Goksel Baktagir, what a player and composer. Even his exercises on kanun are like complex compositions.
It's still sad for me that I'm not getting up in the morning to go to classes anymore, I miss the sound of 20 ouds playing the same finger exercises
simultaneously...Yurdal's example and teaching style are exactly what I need to progress in a truly positive way.
Did you get yourself and ud while in Istanbul? Where are you off to next? Are you in Australia these days?
Take care,
mavrothis
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Monty88
Oud Junkie
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Seminar
but Hey Mavrothis,
I miss the sound of 20 ouds doing the same excerises too! I liked walking up that mountain side and hearing it, as if the mountain was playing oud). What a fantastic place. I can't get back there next year cause i'm doing year
12 but after that i'm going to stay in greece for a year (or so I am
planning).
I couldn't buy an oud in Turkey, as I didn't have the money for one I really wanted. I played some nice ones though. I already bought my laouto in
crete, plus a left-handed electric saz in Istanbul. I will get an oud made left-handed for me, as I thought about your comments on the bracing being
righthanded.
Just something of interest. Earlier this year, a friend of mine who plays oud and laouto with Ross Daly in their australian ensemble, organised a
project dedicated to the oud and it's relatives this year. We held the concert which was a great success, I played saz, cumbus and laouto. The project
was given a grant from the government to be developed. Now we are putting on 2 more concerts! As it develops i'll tell you about what happens. There
is a chance we might have Christos Baltzidis come over from melbourne to play.
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davidg
Oud Addict
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Registered: 3-25-2005
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Hey Everyone,
I hope you guys had a great time.
Can you guys tell us some of the amazing stuff that occured while you guys were there. Mavrothis and Monty or others that went to the Ud or Kanun
Seminars. Yurdal Tokcan, Necati Celik, Goksel Baktagir and i think it was Ahmet Meter. WoW that would be totally awesome.
Tell us what happened. Did you any of you guys take a camera? Does anyone have pictures. Please please post. Or if you have video that would be
awesome. I am just saying if you have the time please post.
PLEASE PLEASE
Thanks Everyone,
David
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Monty88
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photos
I took a camera, but only got one rather fuzzy picture of yurdal. I only attended the first day of the oud seminar so didn't get many photos. There
are videos out though, i'll look into it.
Regards
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davidg
Oud Addict
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Hey everyone,
Please Monty or anyone who can get info for me and others. It will be well appreciated. If there are videos WOW that just makes it way better.
Please look into it as I try too.
Thanks Everyone
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Marina
Oud Junkie
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Hi to all Mavrodis & co. from the seminar in Crete.
Marina
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
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HI! 
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oudplayer
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hi mav
it seems live u had a great time by the pic!!
was this the group and the scearnary was great from the pic
thx sammy
p.s what kind of stuff they teach you in these kind of semenare
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
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Hey Sammy,
Yeah, it was really an amazing experience. Yurdal Tokcan is an amazing teacher and a great and funny guy all around. I can't tell you what was the
best part, the great teachers, the wonderful people who came to learn, the 100% musical atmosphere in the village, the scenery...it was all
perfect.
As for the lessons, we had two lessons a day, 3 hrs each (so around 6 hrs or more a day). One from 9 - 12, and the second from 6 - 9 in the early
evening.
Yurdal started with reviewing some basics on oud, like holding the instrument and the pick, etc. Then we began with a simple finger exercise that he
expanded into something more difficult.
From that point on, we learned and worked on new exercises everyday. We had some very concentrated makam lessons for two sessions, which Yurdal and
Goksel Baktagir readily said was not enough or fair to the makams since you need much more time. But it was great to get some very fundamental
intonation and seyir instruction.
We worked on a Mahur Saz Semai with the kanun students, and also worked on some of Yurdal's own compositions! Also, the Ussak sirto by Necip Gulses
which is a lot of fun and is on Cafe Istanbul.
Those were the lessons. Every night, either the Greek and non-Greek students would play together, or even better, the Teachers would play for us, at
a different Taverna every night. It was amazing. Staying up until the early morning each night (going home at 3am was early) and waking up just
before class the next day. It sounds tiring, but actually it was not at all.
Next year I hope to go again, it was too great of an experience. Ross Daly and everyone else at the seminar was really great as well, lots of
interesting discussions and music going on.
Take care,
mav
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
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Another pic from the seminar:
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
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One with most of the class showing and Yurdal checking our finger positions and stuff:
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
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And the man himself, Yurdal Tokcan!
(These photos have been shared with me by other seminar goers, my pc is still very sick... )
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