lessons on youtube

Actually your post albakaa has inspired me to go searching for things related to self teaching and I came across this:

http://alsiadi.com/index.html

Now I apologise if it has been posted here before. I only get to view a limited number of posts, and as much as I like to, I'm unable to spend 24hrs at Mike's Oud Forums . But all that aside, its a fantastic site that has amongst other things, over 100 arabic tunes and doulabs with animated music notes using the Sibelius software. I guess it'll teach you more how to read music than play oud, but if you have the basics in oud, I think it will be a great help.

Brilliant idea

OUD MAQAMS: the CD Project !

Hello everyone,

Through the past year or so, I was frequently asked to post some educational material on Maqams on my YouTube channel.

Well, I've been compiling what I know about maqams (solely on the oud) and realized it maybe a better idea and much easier if all of this is packed in a single CD !, rather than 50+ videos that are hard to download !

Well, the CD is almost done now. It presents 50+ maqams (basic and branching).

I have gathered all of this info from music GURU's primarily from Iraq, where the late Munir Bashir used to teach, oud specialists from Syria, Egypt and Chzeck Republic !. So in other words, I'm putting the expertise of almost 10 masters in the music world, solely on the oud, in one CD.

This project has taken a lot of time from my side, and shall be materialized in a matter of few weeks now !

I really wish it will be accepted by all oud lovers out there, as it presents maqams in a new simple way......VERY SIMPLE & EZ. I'd first like to take some premilinary feedback from people in this great forum before the relase of this CD, to kinda test the water .....what do you think guys ?!

Take care,
O.P.

Hi Oud.Proff- I think this is a fantastic idea and one that is long overdue my friend. I'm sure everyone in this forum will welcome your project, and knowing that it will done by the experienced and talented oud player that you are will make it something to look forward to, no matter what skill level one is at.
May I inquire, when you say that you wish to put the maqams and other educational material onto a CD, do you mean DVD? A DVD can hold more information than a CD, and also be able to include a visual aspect which would be so very useful. Not only can one hear the various maqam examples being played, but also see you playing it on the fingerboard and be able to follow along, something that is extremely helpful for those in the early stages of oud playing. Listening and watching on a DVD is the next best thing to having a personal teacher.

This approach to a DVD would work assuming that you will be playing all the maqam examples yourself. Is this the general idea, or is it going to be a compilation of maqams and other related material as played by others, on CD to listen to?

One more suggestion that I wish to make if you go the way of a DVD: it would be a real treat to include a few of the Abdel Wahab and Om Kalthoum numbers that you do so well and have posted in the forum. This would be a nice way to round off any educational DVD, and you might even include the notation for us to follow along with and then break the song down into sections for easy learning! You could even have a DVD1 and DVD2, for different levels of playing. This idea of yours has many great possibilities, inshallah may it become a reality. best wishes, M.W.

Hello our Oudproff. It is an idea that gonna make burning the roof !
I had exactly the same project but I do not know why I have not even managed to start
best regards

Oud.Proff

I think that is a brilliant idea! and I will definitley be in for one once released. Now I'm imagining the cd will evolve around the notions of the maqam. What would also be good is a cd of instructional material, similar to the Ali Hassan online oud teaching method, except rather than go online and download lessons, they can all be on a cd, or a set of cds, the question is though, will this be a dvd, or would it be a cd with files that can be opened and played in pc media players. My only concern, is what tuning will be used on the instructional cds. I dont know about others, but I do most of my practicing by listening and playing along to audio cds, therefore I tune up the same as the recorded artist. And sometimes it can be frustrating when artists fiddle around with their tuning, like drop a semitone or tuneup a semitone etc. One of the things annoying me atm is this cd of Rahim Alhajj and I think he tunes up a semi tone from the already high iraqi tuning of F C D G C F, and because I'm desparate to play along to this cd, I would need to get a custom made string set that would be suitable for Rahim's tuning; in order to be able to paly along.

So my recommendation, or feed back would be a carefully considered tuning to be used on the instructional cd. i Would suggest a 7 course oud with the tuning C F A D G C F, becuse this would be versatile and, whether one tunes to C F A D G C, F A D G C F, D G A D G C; all these tunings will fall within the range of a 7 course oud...

I may have just stated the obvious, but that would be my advice

Meanwhile congragulations Oud.Proff on the great idea and I'll be looking forward to the release of your cd!!

Regards
Samer
Melbourne

Dear Matthew, freya, gilgamesh and Melbourne: Thanks a lot for your encouragement, and for the fruitful ideas.

Although I don't want to sabotage the element of surprise relevant to this project , I can say:

Yes my dear Matthew, it will include explanatory videos for all the maqams presented, with some examples (audio/video). Regarding whether it's a DVD or a CD, I found a way to manage the content in a CD (been working with some technicalities here ). But of course it doesn't contain any of my YouTube videos. Maybe I'll consider upgrading the next version of the project into a DVD that includes those ones !.

With regard to your suggestions Melbourne, I'd say the way I'm presenting the content should resolve the issue of different tuning (since the exact tones will be known and presented), although I'd be using one of the most common Arabic oud tunings (F A D G C).

Again guys, I mostly appreciate your imput and encouragement. It will be a push forward for me to expediate the finalization of this CD !

Sincerely,
O.P.

Hi Oud Prof

This would be a wonderful resource, your knowledge would bemore than appreciated and with the kind of software Brian mentioned those of us using 'Armenian/Turkish' tuning this would become a really useful learning tool.

Best of luck with this - we're with you all the way

Leon

Hey Brian

Thanks for the link man. I shall give it a go!

Cheers
Sam

i want the cd!!!!

Thanks Brian for the link, I think it should be a handy tool.

I'm working on the final touches, although towards the end I keep getting fresh brain storms !

Best regards ya'll
O.P.

Dont forget one important think: your dedication on it for all us , your fans of the first hour

Learn Maqamat on the OUD - CD is DONE !!