How do you know that the oud has taken over your life?

1. You get up to play before brushing your teeth in the morning and having your coffee
2. You have no more room in your house because you have too many ouds
3. Your spouse threatens divorce unless "you put that damn thing down already"
4. You logon to Mike's ouds before checking your e-mails
5. You listen to oud music in your car, at the gym, at your desk, at business conferences on your IPod, at the doctors office, on an airplane, while going for a run, while taking care of your kids, while walking the dog..and every other place you can
6. You are so obsessed with this new piece you are learning that you turn on the coffee pot and there is no pot to catch the coffee so it spills onto the counter and you don't even notice
7. You are late for a meeting because you want to nail the next kana of this samai you are learning

Any more??? )

8. When you bend the neck of your little used Guitar, shaping it like an Oud. Smashing 2 extra sound holes in the front, moulding the back of the Guitar outwards, and sticking peices of wood into the neck, for extra tuning pegs.

9. When you find yourself playing 'Air Oud' while chatting to someone. I get strange looks from this one.

10. Halfway through a conversation with someone, you begin talking in Arabic and singing in the tune you're trying to learn... or... you say to your friends "Sunbati, in my opinion is the greatest... oh, I mean, Rolling Stones are the greatest band ever... "

my oud sleep on my bed
i cant say more

My ouds fight over who will sleep in my bed

I sleep IN my oud

Leon

My Ouds sleep together.

Confession follows:

Wake up and go out, feed horses, then go to work at 5:30 in the morning....
Its dark.

Listen to oud while driving, working, and driving home

You get home at 6:30 pm...
Its dark

You feed the animals, make dinner, pay attention to spouse...
go out to shop and work on Oud until midnight listening to oud music... take pictures...

Log into Mikesoudforums and post pictures of progress

Go to bed at 12:30 - 1:00

dream of Ouds...

Repeat daily

My ouds, actually, refuse to pay the rent & bills!

Haha Marina!

Another way to know Oud has taken over your life... You quitely play the minute before you go to bed, and I mean the minute... and playing louldy the minute you way up.

You talk to your Ouds, and dance with your Ouds.

... and finally I have to regretfully admit Iam the notorious wereoud of Old Portsmouth town ... and herer's the proof

Ahahaha, you hurt my lungs!!!

- When you constantly think "you still don't know how to play this friggin' thing" after years of playing..

- When you people ask you what "that instrument is" and insist on taking pictures with it..

- When you play the oud in your bathroom for the "concert hall" effect..

When you find it strange to hold and play a guitar.

"It's a bit of a funny shape, isn't it? And what are these things ristricting my play?"

"Frets... "

"Oh, right. "