aminas02
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Learning Samai's
Greetings,
I am attempting to learn Samai's because I heard this is a great way to learn oud technique and also the maqam system. Can someone please list their
top 3 Samai's to learn that are for a beginner AND there is a recording of it, somewhere on Youtube or for download that I may listen to?
Thank you!
Art
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Brian Prunka
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Sama'i Bayati -Ibrahim al Aryan
Sama'i Rast - Tatyos
Sama'i Hijaz Kar Kurd - Tatyos
There are many recordings of all three of these. Tatyos' Sama'i Rast has a couple different versions depending on if it is an Arab or Turkish player
(at least with the old generations—lots of young Arab players are just playing the Turkish version).
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John Erlich
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I like Brian's choices, especially Tatyos' Samai Hijaz Kar Kurd. What you didn't state is whether you prefer Turkish or Arabic scores. Here is a
good, clean, simple Arabic score of the Tatyos Hijaz Kar Kurd - https://www.facebook.com/turkishmusicfornonturks/photos/a.4110907757... Note that I also posted a link to a rendition by an Arabic ensemble.
Another good "beginner's" samai is the Samai Bayati Qadim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSOdn4odru4 Although it lacks the characteristic final khanna in a contrasting time signature (3/4, 6/8, 5/8
etc.), it is a relatively easy piece with a nice melody. I am attaching 2 scores.
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Brian Prunka
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Good point, John, I was assuming Arabic since he said "maqam" and "samai" instead of "makam" and "saz semai", and probably out of my own bias 
Tatyos' Rast and Kurdili hicazkar are still good choices for Turkish but the Bayati is by an Arab composer, so not good if you want to play
Turkish.
Aziz Dede's Ussak Semai would be a good one though.
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Brian Prunka
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By the way, for Arabic style, this album is a great reference:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DS4ESA/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
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Jody Stecher
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Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  | By the way, for Arabic style, this album is a great reference:
[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DS4ESA/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp |
[/url]
A blast from the past! I've had this album as an LP on the Duniaphon label for longer than I can remember, probably since its release in the 1970s.
These days each track is downloadable from CD Baby at 59 cents.
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Brian Prunka
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http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/SALAHARRAM
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Brian Prunka
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I'm curious if your LP version is the same, I heard that the original recording was riq only on percussion and that the derbekke was added later.
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Jody Stecher
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Listening tonight with an analytic ear and headphones I can say the LP is very different. The instruments on the Lp are oud, 2 or more violins, nay,
an occasional distant qanun, and riq. No other percussion (except the sound of the risha on the oud strings) and no bass. Although the cover photo
suggests otherwise, there is no buzuq on the Lp or on the digital versions. The mix is different and the pan is wider on the digital version and I
think the digital version may have more reverb than the LP. The oud is more present on the LP and the qanun is sometimes more present on the digital
versions. It does seem to be the same recordings however.
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Jody Stecher
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Listening again in broad daylight and not sleepy, I think I was wrong. There is bass (or maybe plucked cello) on the LP and probably derbekke as well,
well buried in the mix. The bass string instrument is hammering out the main beats but there may be something else as well that is producing deeper
tones than likely to come from a riq. Sorry to be waffling and vague. The mixes are so different. They are certainly the same basic recordings whether
or not something was added. I'm simultaneously playing the Lp on my turntable and the CD Baby digital "tastes" on my computer.
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