The Oud

Links

1. Oud Websites
2. Music Theory and Practice
      General
      Arabic music
      Turkish music
      Persian music
3. Artists
4. Oud Makers
5. Online CD Stores
6. Miscellaneous Links

1. Oud Websites

Mike's Oud Website
A beautifully designed site dedicated to Arabic ouds. Created and maintained by Mike Malek, it features an Oud Forum for discussion of all aspects of the oud and a fantastic set of online instructional videos.

Oud Cafe
A really comprehensive website on the Turkish style of oud playing, created by Mavrothis Kontanis. The site features lessons on the most common Turkish makamlar, including sheet music of a well-known composition in each makam accompanied by audio files.

Iranian Oud
A website devoted to the history and performance of oud in Iran, and designed by Majid Yahyanejad. There is detailed information on three generations of Iranian oud players with accompanying sound files. Also, numerous beautiful photos showing historical ouds and oud makers at work in their workshops.

Brian Punka's Oud Page
An excellent general oud site with info on technique, theory and more. Brian is currently in the process of expanding the music theory section of his site, so look out for an update in the near future!

Nikos Dimitriadis's Oud Website
Great background info on all aspects of the oud, including audio files of taksims played by Nikos himself.

Oud Home Page
One of the first oud websites, with information on the history of the oud, CDs of oud music as well as a huge list of oud-related links.

Oud Web
A comprehensive list of oud-related links that is updated regularly.

Pablo's Oud Page
A South American web site with loads of useful information which is always being updated. Sound clips too!

Ronny Andersson's Iraqi Oud Website
A site dedicated to the Bashir-style oud, with info on Iraqi oud makers and some great oud photos.

Armenian Oud Makers
A site devoted to Armenian oud makers past and present, with lots of information and photos - created by Dr Jonathan Varjabedian.

Andy Kasparian's Oud Page
Features several ouds that Andy made himself, together with a nice list of oud-related links.

'The Oud: Construction and Repair' - book by Richard Hankey (Dr. Oud)
Everything you need to know about building your own oud!

Jameel Abraham's Oud Construction
A website giving details of an oud made using Richard Hankey's book.

'Ouds' by David Brown
A detailed article on oud history, tuning, technique etc.

Introduction to the Oud for Guitarists
Written in a down-to-earth style with plenty of good advice for anyone making the transition from guitar to oud.

2. Music Theory and Practice

General

Makam
A nice introduction to the makam/maqam system in Middle Eastern music.

Jas's Middle Eastern Rhythms FAQ
A large resource for percussionists, including sound samples!

Arabic music

Arabic Maqam World
A beautiful new site on the theory of Arabic maqamat, with sound clips for each maqam.

Metric Modes (IQA'AT) & Melodic Modes (MAQAMAT)
An excellent page, including audio and video clips of the principal maqamat and iqa'at being played by Ali Jihad Racy on oud and Souhail Kaspar on percussion.

Herman Rechberger's Home Page
Online version of detailed book on Arabic rhythms.

Arabic Music Internet Reference (AMIR)
An enormous database of Arab artists, albums, etc.

Turkish music

Turkmusikisi.com
A huge resource for sheet music from the great Turkish composers - you need to register first, but the material is free to download (In Turkish).

Troia Nova
This is a London-based group that performs Turkish and Greek music using traditional instruments such as oud, laouto, tanbur, saz and Cretan lyra.

Persian music

Peyman Nasehpour
A detailed site on Persian drumming including tombak and daf.

3. Artists

Dann Torres (Knossos)

Alekos Vretos

4. Oud Makers

Dincer Dalkilic (USA/Turkey)

Haluk Eraydin (Turkey)

Faik Mohammad Fadel (Iraq)

Yaroub Mohammad Fadel (Tunisia)

Nazih Ghadban (Lebanon)

Hank Levin - MusiCaravan (USA)

Michael Moussa (UK)

Viken Najarian (USA)

Dimitris Rapakousios (Greece)

Cengiz Sarikus (Turkey)

Tasos Theodorakis (Greece)

Faruk Turunz (Turkey)

5. Online CD Stores

Maqam Music
This is quite simply the best site for buying oud CDs. They also stock a huge range of other Middle Eastern music, DVDs, books and even instruments!

Rashid Music Sales
Another great place to find oud CDs, regularly updated with new stock.

Fnac.com
An online CD store based in France with some particularly hard to find recordings (in French).

Alapage.com
Another online CD store based in France (in French).

6. Miscellaneous Links

www.kanuns.com
Comprehensive site by John Habib covering all aspects of the kanun.

Medimuses Project - Music of the Mediterranean
Website of the organisers of the International Oud Meeting 2002 in Thessaloniki, Greece, as well as forthcoming events relating to other instruments.

Atlas of Plucked Instruments
An encyclopaedia of all the world's plucked instruments, compiled by Henny de Bruin, and featuring numerous photos of instruments from Henny's own collection.

Harel Shachal
New York-based musician who plays Turkish clarinet, ney, zurna and saxophone.

EthnoSuperLounge
A network of musicians from Australia, Japan and India who come together to create cross-cultural music.

British Museum 'Arabesque' events
Includes videos of an interview with and performance by the Iraqi oud player Ahmed Mukhtar.

Plain Sud
Contemporary jazz/oriental ensemble featuring Tunisian oudist Khaled Ben Yahia.

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