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oudplayer
Oud Junkie
Posts: 849
Registered: 5-9-2004
Location: new jersey/ Israel
Member Is Offline
Mood: ouds up
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why you play the oud
hi all
i was thinking yeh i know i thought and it hurts my head everytime i think but i thnk this would be a good thread to do and inspiring thread?? g-d
that hurt sorry give me 2 more min
The main question is why you play the oud and what made you pick the oud and not any other instrument.
and why is it speacial to you ?
and the third question is who inspired you to play?
i hope this thread will be great?
well first of all : all my live i alwasy told my dad while growing up i always wanted to play the oud but he always was like one day you will get a
oud and play well 10 years later i finaly got a oud and this is where it all begins my oud life i could not have been wrong with my chose.
the main person who inspired me was farid el athrache while growing up i would listen to him play the oud even though my brother would tell me to turn
that stuff off but i wuld just not listen to him < but i got throgh it and enjoyed it >and whenever i was at a famiy gathering we all would sing
all tunes from yemen and play the darbuakh and onse ina while my cuz would play the mizmar but we always knew something was missing and finally i
can play with them at the partys
these are the main things why i play and enjoys the oud and i hope you guys can share what u thing and make this thread be unbaliaveable crazy and
alive
tjx sammy please everyone wh o looks say something about yr oud years
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revaldo29
Oud Junkie
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-24-2004
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: inspired
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Hey all,
Great idea for a post Sammy. With me, I lived in Libya until I was 9 years old. I remember growing up with Arabic music and singing patriotic
Abdel Halim Hafez songs when I was in elementary school. When my family came to the states, everything changed. I joined the schools musical group and
played violin for a short period of time but then moved to percussion. I played drums in a Jazz Band for a while, joined the marching band and played
in the school symphony for 7 years. Growing up as a teenager here in the states has made me realize how fragile my culuture and heritage is and how
easily it can be erradicated by the all consuming American lifestyle. I decided to play oud because I felt like it was a way for me to reconnect and
keep up with my culture. Not only that, but I can spread it to others as well. One of the most vivid memories I have is of my old lady listening to
old old libyan music and crying because it reminded her of the life we used to have. Now I can share this feeling with anyone and remind them that the
beauty of a culture doesn't lie in how powerfull and wealthy it is or how fast it is advancing. I've also found that playing oud is a great way of
relieving stress. Nothing takes the stress of exams away like 15 minutes with your oud.
regards,
Adnan
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revaldo29
Oud Junkie
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-24-2004
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: inspired
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oh yeah, I forgot one more thing. Girls love a guy that plays eastern music 
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palestine48
Oud Junkie
Posts: 448
Registered: 6-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Free Palestine
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well my reason is the oud is the most dificult instrument i can think of to play because not having frets really tests your aility to understand
musical concepts.
second, is because the oud plays a big role in my heritage. the oud is away to connect to my culture while I am away from my homeland.
As you know many Palestinians who left their land didnt leave by choice so for us kids growing up in a dual society wasnt easy because our parents
were prepared to adapt to new societies and didnt want us to lose our palestinian and arab heritage so their ways of raising children never adapted to
the new country( america in my case). For me i felt that it is only me who can really push myself to hold on to that heritage and make my family
proud so I do all i can to learn, understand and accept my culture in return for the sacrafice that my family gave for a better life for us
children.
I love music, and since my uncle played oud it was always a familiar instrument and fortunantely since palestine still holds on to its traditional
past , the pop scene has not taken over there. So the oud is still an important instrument there, possibly even more so than lebanon, the hub of
arabic music these days.
The oud is hard but if u think about it, there arent many insturments that are as verstile as it. compare it to the guitar and u can do much more
with an oud than with a guitar so the hard work is well earned.
Rami
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palestine48
Oud Junkie
Posts: 448
Registered: 6-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Free Palestine
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Once again please excuse the grammatical errors. Typing and no sleep do not mix. I meant the parents of palestinian children were not prepared to
adapt to new societies that they fled too.
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eliot
Oud Junkie
Posts: 252
Registered: 1-5-2005
Location: The Gorges
Member Is Offline
Mood: Aksak
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It kind of "found me." I was a frustrated, burnt-out concert pianist and needed something else to do, musically. The oud "felt right" when I held it
and played it - piano and guitar had never felt right. Scott Marcus is largely responsible... I had thought of studying sitar with him, but he
convinced me I was much better suited for the oud.
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habeebkum
Oud Maniac
Posts: 99
Registered: 2-20-2005
Location: newcastle, uk
Member Is Offline
Mood: arab!
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my reason.....
i have always been able to pick up musical instruments and just mess about with them. i ended up buying a guitar when i was seventeen and i've played
it ever since. i am almost 24 now. but i have always been mesmorised by oud players. i think part of my reason is the same as Rami (palestine48). i am
also palestinian and my father was kicked out in 1948 and they fled to jordan. i then grew up in abudhabi and have an english mother.....she is an
arab at heart tho! but i think due to this fact i have always wanted to make sure that i am arab inside and out. I also know that my father enjoys
listening to farids playing and has always me to play arabic music instead of bashing away at a guitar. i agree with him now!!!!the guitar is not even
in the same league as the oud, as far as i am concerened. anyway, i was walking past a new music shop that had opened in abudhabi about a year after i
started playing guitar, and i saw many ouds in there and just went straight in and talked to the guy about how to get started. he sold me a cheap oud
and also gave me a few lessons to get me started. i played for about 2 months but it was so hard to keep it tuned and ended up leaving it alone cos i
couldn;t be bothered with it anymore. and then i did a search on the oud on internet and found this website and i have bought a decent oud and have
never put it down since. i am in love with it!!!!!!!!!!!and all thanks to u guys and to this website
habeebkum
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palestine48
Oud Junkie
Posts: 448
Registered: 6-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Free Palestine
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I agree Amru , my father didn't like me learning the guitar but is happy I play the oud
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aldokhi
Oud Maniac
Posts: 65
Registered: 8-31-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Why play the oud
I was always facinated by this instrument. but like most young people growing up in the arab world, my ears have been contaminated with western music
that has invaded our world and due to the current state of the general arab psyche, I found myself completely defensless against this cultural
invasion. it was not until I left home to study in Europe that I discovered the rich cultural hereitage of the arabs. it started when I picked up a
Munir Bashir CD. the cover had a picture of this great musician, he looked very serious, but it was not until I started lisening to the CD that I
realised that his facial expressions where that of a Human being in a complete state of ecstasy i.e. Tarab.
Then came the day I bought myself an oud and the rest is history.
I should add that this website has literally been my dedicated oud teacher for the last 3 years, my hat (or Kufiya) is off to all of you.
aldokhi
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dennis perusse
Oud Addict
Posts: 36
Registered: 9-8-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: confused
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why you play the UD
hello,
Good thread here so here is my thoughts on said subject. I had been a failure at everyother instrument that I had tried. I couldn't do a western
guitar, I had been a failure at an irish tin whistle, doembeks didn't suit my style and both a recorder and a fife just gave me a run of
dissapointment. Now to set these wheels in motion I go to a thing called Pensic, which is a large festival run for two weeks by a group called the
Society for the Creative Anachronism in Slippery Rock Pennsylvania in the USA. That festival has over 10,000 people that go to it and recreates the
middle ages up to the Renaissance in terms of time period and it extends to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, etc, in terms of clothing styles and
culture expressed; so in other words a lot of music, clothing, culinary, shelter ideas, and learning get packed into this two week event.
While there their is a group of people called "Orluk Oasis" whom hold a party twice during those two weeks which entails belly dancing and live
music as well as arabic stories presented. These parties last quite a few hours and a good time is had by all. One day, around three years ago I
heard a few Oudist play at that party and was absolutely mesmirized by the sounds and the ability from which they had over their instruments. That
alone got me hooked and a yearning developed into a desire to learn more about it. In one of the merchants tents ( as there are many at pensic) which
sells instruments of various types I saw an oud there and then reality hit me, I did not have enough money to get one yet.
Undaunted it took me three years to get it. The best part about that is is that my friends whom go with me to this festival purchased it for me and
gave it to me as a birthday present. I have been happier ever since with this guitar and am planning on getting another one something before the end
of this year. That explains why I play the UD. To the poster on this list whom is from the Middle East I salute you. As an American, and although I
am proud of my heritage and my country, I can truly understand why many of you feel like your culture is getting converted or lost in the sea of so
many other cultures that surround you here. You have an instrument which is the grandaddy of them all and if more people were to hear it's sound than
I think that more people would want to learn it but that is my opinion.
As for why it is so special the answer is in the amount of control and its difficulty that the player has to get use to and the amound of time
needed to master this instrument little along play it competently. It takes years to master this thing and actually be recognized as such by your own
peers takes time and efforts as well . Also the sound of it is also so radically different in tonal quality that you can't help but be surprised by
what comes out of it when you play it as it sounds so sweet and inviting.
The only people who originally inspired me to play were the first people whom were at that tent at that party three years ago. The people who
inspire me now are the ones that I hear on my mp3 player. These people include Richard Hagopian and Viken Narjaran currently. When I get the chance
I am wishing to pick up any cd by Yorgos Bacanos and or Udi Hrant and like a monument sit and listen to what they are doing. I have only been playing
for 3.5 months so I have a long way to go but my enthusiasm is bright and my goals are good to learn more. I hope that that helps. :-)
dennis
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oudplayer
Oud Junkie
Posts: 849
Registered: 5-9-2004
Location: new jersey/ Israel
Member Is Offline
Mood: ouds up
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hi all
this is very good bc i see why its very importent in many ways i would love to here from mav jameel mike and all the big guys here?
thx sammy
we can learn alot from one another and that why we are one big family
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SAGR QURAISH
Oud Junkie
Posts: 125
Registered: 8-10-2004
Location: VA/DC
Member Is Offline
Mood: SPONTANIOUS
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hey alll..gr8 topic....well when i was in 8th grade my dad enrolled me in a violin class. then all 4 yrs of high school i studied acoustic guitar. by
the time i was in 10 grd. i picked up the oud from my father. his the one that i would say owe the thanx too....but i wasnt getting anywhere....then i
heard about 3abady.. the 1st song i heard was galo tara..ever since then i said im gonna get that song.i chose to stick with the 3ood b/c it sounds a
lot better than any other instrument i've played.plus it has the quarter notes.so 3abady inspired me..my dad got me into it. and ive been playing ever
since..i started at 17 and now im 21...thanks
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Stefan Andalus
Oud Maniac
Posts: 59
Registered: 10-15-2004
Location: San Francisco
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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How I cam to love al 'ud
Since the age of 5, I played classical piano. About 20 years ago (I am 63) I became tired with the piano and wanted a more intimate instrument. I
chose the Renaissence lute. The music I liked best to play on the lute was Medieval music. In those days (20 years ago) lutenists were using modern
ouds to play European medieval music. So, I bought a copy of a Manol oud and started learning the music of Medieval Spain (Las Catigas de Santa
Maria). However, I fell in love with the oud itself. My lute teacher, Donna Cummings, introduced me to Udi John Bilezikjian and I began lessons with
him. And now, in 2005, I am composing the first European classical chamber piece that incorporates oud. My friend Yo-Yo Ma will get a preliminary
recording by the end of the summer, and then I will see how far the adventure continues. So, my friends, that is my story. May peace be with you all.
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Hatem_Afandi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 414
Registered: 2-26-2005
Location: TX
Member Is Offline
Mood: Learning
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Hi Stephan,
It is an honor to have a musician like you in this forum. I am a big fan of Yo Yo Ma. His last CD is absolutely brilliant.
It is obvious that you have been exerting a good effort to intorduce the oud into Western Music. My question is:
In your opinion, what are the most suitable pieces I can try to play on the oud?
I tried some of Yo Yo Ma's latest CD and still feel that his music is still a bit "alian" to the common western listener.
Best Regards,
Hatem
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Stefan Andalus
Oud Maniac
Posts: 59
Registered: 10-15-2004
Location: San Francisco
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Thank you so much of the lovely, kind words. My first suggestion is to purchase "Bach Lute Suites for Guitar" from Ariel Publications, and just go
through it to see what works for you at your level. Second, send me your address and I'll copy and send you some of my transposed sections of Bach
lute suites for oud, as well as my piece "La Follia Dal Aoud" - which requires a string quartet as backup, but the oud part is a great learning tool.
Hmmm. if there is enough interest I'll write another version with piano or harpsichord accompaniment. "La Follia" is a Renaissence dance tune that
was used by Bach, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and others.
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Hatem_Afandi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 414
Registered: 2-26-2005
Location: TX
Member Is Offline
Mood: Learning
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Hi Stefan,
Thanks for the excellent information. I will definitely get the book as a start.
I will send you my contact info in a U2U message.
Best Regards,
Hatem
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mgoldman
Oud Admirer
Posts: 2
Registered: 5-30-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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I can't play yet. I am looking for a teacher in the Atlanta Ga area.
Thanks
MG
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revaldo29
Oud Junkie
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-24-2004
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: inspired
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hey goldman, I'm in Atlanta. My email is revaldo29@gmail.com. Contact me and i'll connect you with a teacher.
Adnan E
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kasos
Oud Junkie
Posts: 148
Registered: 4-21-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Nice idea for a thread. I really enjoyed reading the different personal stories. I completely understand and applaud those with Middle Eastern
heritage wanting to explore and nurture their roots. I can't claim any background of this type, but at least two of the nationalities in my
bloodline came from regions which at one point were either part of, or on the borders of the Muslim world (I have some Spanish and Polish ancestry).
When I listen to, or play the oud, or other Middle Eastern instruments (I'm learning the kemenche right now, and greatly enjoying it), I feel like
I'm recovering a lost limb. Not only do I feel refreshed from enjoying something rich and exciting in its own right, but it also replenishes my
appreciation for music from my own roots, bringing an extra perspective that informs otherwise obscure inflections in the Spanish or Polish folk/art
music that I grew up with. I completely understand Mr. Andalus's post above, relating a natural progression from the Cantigas (also a favorite of
mine) to oud repertoire generally. I feel led along much the same path (though assuredly on a more modest scale). I echo the sentiments
expressed above, that it is both a privilege and a pleasure to have musicians of high caliber as visitors/participants on the site, together with oud
lovers of all levels of experience and ability. Mark/Kasos
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1674
Registered: 6-5-2003
Location: NJ/NYC
Member Is Offline
Mood: big band envy
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Hi,
This is a very nice thread. It's been very enjoyable reading everyone's reasons for playing oud.
Stefan, could you email me those transcribed pieces for oud? I would really appreciate that. My email is: mavrothis@oudcafe.com
For me, I started out with clarinet, then guitar, next bouzouki, and finally at 16 oud. Before I met my first teacher at 16, I didn't know what an
oud was. But within a few years, I left every other instrument to focus on it. It's such an amazing combination of feelings to play oud. The sound
uncomparable, I think it's very human and emotional. You can put your true feelings into what the oud is saying easier than saying them with words I
think. But also, the oud and the other instruments that are played with it are so old. They've evolved over time, but the ancient roots are very
strong in them, and so not only are you playing a beautiful instrument, but you are joining a huge family of players that has existed for many
thousands of years.
It's a very beautiful idea to me, that regardless of your background, by playing this instrument you are preserving a very ancient tradition. And
along with that, you are getting closer to knowing yourself, because the oud really allows you to see what is inside yourself as you progress in your
playing.
Take care,
mavrothis
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Alan
Oud Junkie
Posts: 118
Registered: 9-30-2003
Location: Tampa Bay Florida
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow Yellow
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I have played guitar for most of my life and my father played the oud. I inherited his oud and one day pulled it out of the closet and said time to
learn. Self taught and play for relaxation and personal enjoyment.
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MrOud
Oud Maniac
Posts: 84
Registered: 1-8-2004
Location: New Jersey, U.S.A
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Why the Oud?
Great thread. I don't think I ever had to answer such a question. But here is why I stopped at the oud.
Growing up in South Eastern Turkey (Diyarbakir) I played around with many instruments including cumbus, violin, saz, clarinet and kaval. For some
reason playing the cumbus always felt right for me. I don't think I met anyone who owned an oud in my hometown. First time I saw/heard an oud was on
television in the Summer of 1974. Coskun Sabah had played a pretty long Kurdilihicazkar taksim with the Classical Turkish Music Choire of Istanbul. I
believe the damage on me was done that day. Several years later while
vacationing in Istanbul, I got to play that very oud Coskun played on television. I got my first oud after I moved to the U.S when I was 18. My father
had sent me a Hadi oud with a friend of his. It immediately became my main instrument.
As I gained experience in playing the oud, I realized that I could express myself musically better with the oud than any other instrument. First of
all with the oud, its possible to play any style of music. One can easily play folk tunes from Anatolia or Armenia on the oud with folk musicians one
day, and join a bunch of classical music (byzantine style) players the next day, and play even with a pop singer another day. I especially like the
fact that I can play and sing at the same time very easily.
Coskun Sabah inspired me to pick it up. Hirant and Bacanos inspired me to stick with it.
Udi Mike
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John Erlich
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1463
Registered: 8-26-2004
Location: California, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oud-Obsessed
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Why do I play oud?
1) I got tired of playing jazz guitar--I was always too self-critical and needed something completely new.
2) To help preserve the music and culture of Jews from Arab countries and educate people about it. In 1948, there were 856,000 Jews in 9 Arab
countries; today there are less than 8,000 (6,000 in Casablanca, Morocco and 1,500 on the island of Djerba). Like the Palestinians, many of them
didn't leave by choice. And although by and large they have experienced nothing like the privation experience by the Palestinians, they have ended up
in countries in the West (France, Canada, US, UK, Argentina, etc.), where it has been extremely difficult to maintain their culture, or in Israel,
where their culture has faced discrimination.
3) To increase dialog and understanding between Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians. I hope that my music opens Jews and Arabs up to each by
showing that the 2 cultures are not separate, but closely intertwined. The most gratifying thing for me to hear is when our Jewish fans, because of
our music, find interacting with Arabs something fun and positive rather than uncomfortable and fearful.
4) To connect with the Divine. Really. For me, playing the oud is the most spiritual element of my life. Once a month, I play oud and help lead
religious services (Jewish).
5) Traditional music from the Middle East and North Africa ROCKS!!!!!
Ma'asalaama and Kol Tuv,
Udi John
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revaldo29
Oud Junkie
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-24-2004
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: inspired
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Hey stefan, could you please pass some of that literature my way as well. I have always been itching to play classical music on my oud but have had no
idea where to start. I'm going to look into getting that book as well.
Adnan
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revaldo29
Oud Junkie
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-24-2004
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: inspired
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Oops forgot to tell you, my email is revaldo29@gmail.com
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