oud.sounds
Oud Lover
Posts: 13
Registered: 11-9-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Constructive critic requested
Hi Naddad,
You have asked me about my progress.
Then let me share with you few videos I uploaded (sound file is worth than thousands of words):
Bayat - Nahawand
F String Problem
Small Bayat melody
Sounds of my Oud strings
Please feel free to comment and add correction advises.
Regards.
|
|
|
naddad
Oud Maniac
Posts: 87
Registered: 6-14-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Hey oudsounds -- first let me start by saying that I'm not a great oud player. I'm kinda starting as well (been playing 1 hour per day for the past 2
months). My music background helps me hear notes better and my guitar background is helping me make progress in left hand technique, but that's pretty
much all I have over a complete beginner in music.
With regards to your progress, it seems to me you're heading the right direction. Your notes are accurate, which I think is the most important skill
to learn on the oud. One good exercise to further this skill would be to practice hitting any note right from the first try. Often times I find myself
correcting my finger position because I hit the note slightly too flat or too sharp. Practicing with a chromatic tuner helps. I find that time also
has a major role, as your spatial and auditory memories get intertwined so that a note is automatically associated with a finger position.
To make this exercise fun I'm taking a piece of music I'm liking to play these days (Longa riad) and I'm just playing it over and over and over to
improve my accuracy. I record myself to hear the performance and any notes that are off. So, take a piece that you like and do the same. I'm finding
it a VERY hard to hit all the right notes all the time. As your ear gets better you will even notice mistakes more and more, and get even harder on
yourself for not doing it right, which will lead you to more practice.
Others more experienced forumers will chime in more constructively than me I'm sure.
|
|
|
oud.sounds
Oud Lover
Posts: 13
Registered: 11-9-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Hi naddad,
Thank you for your inputs.
According to what you say I am in a dilemna. Is it worth working hard on a specific song or trying different songs so that you can cover more maqamat?
At the beginning I was doing the same as you do but I was afraid to be dedicated to a specific maqam (so finger positions). Then I decided to switch
between different melodies using different maqamat. This forces to get used to different finger positions.
Concerning plucking exercise I am using both Marina's method and mike's oud site videos (I agree, that is not an easy task).
Does anyone have an input on the issue I have with my F string? Maybe the 2 strings are two close on to another? I have the feeling that the 2 strings
are collided. Can anyone confirm that there is an issue with that string sound and how it can be corrected?
Thank you for your help.
Regards.
|
|
|
naddad
Oud Maniac
Posts: 87
Registered: 6-14-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
You seem much more disciplined than I am in your approach, which is really great.
Honestly I don't know why learning maqams is important and right now I'm not convinced why I should be doing it (and I'm likely wrong). I've read from
many advanced oudists here that a beginner should start from there, but I simply don't see how it could make me progress. Maybe because I already know
western scales and it's easy for me to learn a maqam. What's hard however is putting together a taqsim and understanding and applying the ajnas and
modulation, like demonstrated on the maqamworld website. That and of course, playing accurately, which is my biggest concern right now. I just hate
listening to my playing, it's constantly off and annoying to the ear.
I don't know about the F string. Perhaps your bridge is too low (I had a buzzing problem on my oud that was fixed by raising the bridge a little). You
can experiment by placing a small wooden stick under the knots at the bridge to raise it a little. and see if the problem goes away.
|
|
|
oud.sounds
Oud Lover
Posts: 13
Registered: 11-9-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Well,
As I understood, maqam is like LEGO. If you don't know what are the ajnas (with their tonic and modulation notes) and how to implement it on the Oud,
it will then be difficult to implement taqasim. Without reaching that step, I found very simple to play a melody (know to be Bayat for example) once I
knew how to play Bayat scale in the Oud. I also work on the modulation by switching between scale to scale using the modulation note. Of course I am
doing very simple exercises for now but I am sure it will ve fruitfull.
Concerning the buzzing issue, thanks for the input I will try it. I also found a site talking about that:
Buzzing reasons
Regards.
|
|
|
naddad
Oud Maniac
Posts: 87
Registered: 6-14-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
100% agreed with you. However my approach on taqsims is purely based on ear and listening to a lot of music. I'm sure if I learn the theory and apply
it I would get better faster, but unfortunately I'm not that disciplined. 
By the way, you probably visited this page but I loved the "Example 1" about modulation on maqamworld. It details every part of the taqsim and which modulation is occuring. It was the first time I
understood the theory behind a taqsim. Pretty sweet.
I'm looking forward to hearing your progress in a few months! I have a feeling you'll be a great oud player.
|
|
|
oud.sounds
Oud Lover
Posts: 13
Registered: 11-9-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Naddad,
Thank you very much for that link. I did not look at it before. This is a great work and I will use it for sure!
No problem to update you with my progress. Please feel free to send me recording of your play, maybe it is not as boring as you said it in your
previous email. Anyway, I will be pleased to help if I can.
Regards.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbprobrown/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
