JayJay
Oud Lover
Posts: 22
Registered: 6-7-2020
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How to progress on my own?
Hello friends,
A while ago, I had finished the second course of learning the oud on Izif.com by Tariq Aljundi and decided to get myself a better oud. My plan was to
start learning the oud in a less systematic way and start learning some practical skills and techniques and also following the third course but not as
intensively as before. Since I won't be following a curriculum, I would like to hear advice on how to progress on my own and I also have few question
on how to improve certain skills:
- How can I play music pieces with more harmony and rhythmic risha? Usually when I play a song it sounds quite boring and with no Tarab.
- What is a good practice to learn picking up tunes by ear? It's been almost 2 years since I started playing the oud and I feel like I should have
been better at this by now.
- Last but not least, what is a good way to learn ornamentations?
Any advice is appreciated.
Kind regards
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1353
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: California
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Harmony is generally absent from Arabic music but if you want to add some, begin by adding an adjacent open string to the note you are playing. See
if it works or not. Explore your oud. So much music is "hiding" inside. But to add harmony well first one must understand harmony. And unless one is
very skillful, and well versed in both western and Arabic music, adding harmony is unlikely to enhance Arabic melody. It *has* been done well and it's
been done badly also.
If you want more feeling in your music, focus on what you are feeling rather than on technique and finger placement. One helpful way is to imagine
yourself as a singer. Make your oud into a voice. It's a child-like thing. No technique for it.
A good way to learn to play by ear is to begin by playing simple tunes that you already know perfectly. Children's songs are best. Anything you knew
when you were 5 years old. That way you will know whether you are putting your fingers on the right places on the fingerboard or not.
One way to learn ornamentation on the oud is to study videos of good oud players. After many repeat viewings you will see how they are doing it and
you can try. It's not easy because both left and right hand are involved. It takes practice.
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2916
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Mood: Stringish
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The way to learn tunes by ear is to learn tunes by ear. You just have to start doing it, even if you're not good at it. It's how you'll get better
at it.
This sounds a bit harsh, but it is the way to progress. It's challenging at first, but one thing that helps is to understand that when something
feels difficult it means that you're learning. It will be slow at first, but you can do it.
A good teacher can help you develop these skills if you're having trouble. In my opinion, this should be the real goal of most teaching—to help the
student develop the ability to learn on their own.
A tool that can slow down and loop recordings/videos is also very helpful. In the beginning, you'll have to listen repeatedly to figure out what it
being played.
I agree with all of Jody's suggestions—try to figure out simple tunes that you already know. Sing everything, even badly. Imagine or sing the
sound of the note before you play it. Study videos. Listen closely. This is a lifelong endeavor. Take your time and get inside the music.
A practical tip: listen to the sound of the open strings. When listening to an oud recording, make a habit of noticing whenever an open string is
played. This will help you on the path to hearing everything.
At the least, it will help you figure out how the oud on the recording was tuned (since many old recordings are not at "standard" pitch).
As far as your playing being "boring" or lacking tarab: This is a common problem when students learn from sheet music. It results in a superficial
rendering of the music, because all of the fine details are glossed over.
Find a recording of something you "know" how to play, being played the way you want to play it. Take small bits and try to play them with every
detail and nuance of the recording—every vibrato, every ornament, slide, pick stroke, hammer on, pull-off, etc.—everything. These details are not
in the sheet music. A good teacher can help point these out, but in order to play them meaningfully, they need to internalized. You need to "hear"
them in the music.
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JayJay
Oud Lover
Posts: 22
Registered: 6-7-2020
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Thanks Jody and Brian for the advice, I greatly appreciate them and I have already starting applying what you have said.
Quote: Originally posted by Jody Stecher  |
Harmony is generally absent from Arabic music but if you want to add some, begin by adding an adjacent open string to the note you are playing. See
if it works or not. Explore your oud. So much music is "hiding" inside. But to add harmony well first one must understand harmony. And unless one is
very skillful, and well versed in both western and Arabic music, adding harmony is unlikely to enhance Arabic melody. It *has* been done well and it's
been done badly also.
@Jody Stecher I think I misused the word harmony, what I meant was strumming/hitting the strings with a rhythm(percussion?). I see it being used a lot
in the arabic YouTube, it's often called "tarab risha".
I can show you an example on Doolab Nahawand. At 2:01 when she start to play it, she hits the strings with a pattern which I am struggling to
understand
https://youtu.be/9juqtaCU9hw?t=121
When I play this piece it sounds very monophonic (not sure if the right word).
It's bit to difficult point out at somewhere my little musical knowledge. |
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JayJay
Oud Lover
Posts: 22
Registered: 6-7-2020
Member Is Offline
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oops I haven't figured out how to use this website yet
@Jody Stecher I think I misused the word harmony, what I meant was strumming/hitting the strings with a rhythm(percussion?). I see it being used a lot
in the arabic YouTube, it's often called "tarab risha".
I can show you an example on Doolab Nahawand. At 2:01 when she start to play it, she hits the strings with a pattern which I am struggling to
understand
https://youtu.be/9juqtaCU9hw?t=121
When I play this piece it sounds very monophonic (not sure if the right word).
It's bit to difficult point out at somewhere my little musical knowledge.
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