THE SLIDE:

FINGERED POSITION TO FINGERED POSITION SLIDE

For this exercise, you should pick a makam (switch the makam often to get the most benefits) and start sliding from one position to another, realizing that you should be accurate, but also paying attention to your timing.  Sometimes you want a fast slide, sometimes not.  Sometimes you want an even slide, sometimes you want to vary the pace.  Practice on every string!

I chose A Nihavent (A minor) for my slide practice here, starting on the high A on the first string:

SLIDE EXAMPLES 1

OPEN NOTE TO FINGERED POSITION SLIDE

Another cool thing you can do is slide up a string after playing it open.  The trick is to start sliding your finger as close to the nut as you can after you have plucked the open string, making it sound like you started the slide from the open note.  Practice on every string!

OPEN NOTE SLIDE EXAMPLE

THE 'FADE'

The fade is a great ornamentation that often makes the oud sound almost human, like a sigh or a muted yell.  The trick is partially, not completely, lift your finger as you are sliding, in effect muting the string before reaching a final destination, as with the other exercises above.

Here are some examples:

 FADE DOWN

FADE UP

PLAY MELODY WITH ONLY YOUR FIRST FINGER (ENCOURAGES SLIDING)

This is a very fun exercise which really helps you learn to slide with great accuracy.  Please start out slowly with a melody that you are familiar with, or with a riff that you are working on, and work your speed up to normal as you become able.   The way to do it is just slide to and from notes that are on the same string, or move to another string as you need to.  Play open notes normally, but always slide to and from notes when on the same string.  Feel free to try with all your other fingers too!

FIRST FINGER MELODIES

PARALLELS - LOW OCTAVE VOICING:

HIGH OCTAVE TREMOLO WITH BASS PRECEDING

In addition to the tremolo bounce exercise found on the Right Hand Exercises page, this is also very nice for ornamentation which has been often used by Farid el Atrache and many other great players.

OCTAVE TREMOLO W/ BASS PRECEDING

PARALLEL MOVEMENT WITH LOW OCTAVE FIRST

Here each note of the melody is played twice, first with the low octave, then with the high octave.

LOW PARALLEL MOVEMENT EXAMPLES

MELODIC 'ECHOES' WITH LOW OCTAVE FIRST

In taksim, and even in songs, it's very nice to use an 'echo' of the melody played low again in the higher register.

LOW/HIGH ECHOES

PARALLELS - HIGH OCTAVE VOICING:

THE HIGH OCTAVE GRACE NOTE

For a nice effect, it's nice to occasionally precede the lower note you are about to play with it's higher octave as a grace note (short note preceding another note).

HIGH OCTAVE GRACE NOTE EXAMPLES

PARALLEL MOVEMENT WITH HIGH OCTAVE FIRST

Here each note of the melody is played twice, first with the high octave, then with the low octave.

HIGH PARALLEL MOVEMENT EXAMPLES

MELODIC 'ECHOES' WITH HIGH OCTAVE FIRST

In taksim, and even in songs, it's very nice to use an 'echo' of the melody played high again in the lower register.

HIGH/LOW ECHOES

PASSIVE HAMMER ON - LET YOUR PICK REST AS YOUR LEFT HAND DOES MOST OF THE WORK:

IN ONE POSITION

Use the left hand strength you've been working so hard on to make some nice ornamentation, while your right hand goes a long for the ride.

PASSIVE HAMMER ON IN SAME POSITION

ACROSS THE STRINGS

Here we really go crazy using mostly hammer on technique across the strings.

PASSIVE HAMMER ON ACROSS THE STRINGS

ACTIVE HAMMER ON/TRILL - ATTACK!:

IN ONE POSITION

TRILL IN ONE POSITION

UP THE STRING

TRILL UP THE STRING

DOWN THE STRING

TRILL DOWN THE STRING

CHORDS - WHO SAID WE CAN'T PLAY CHORDS ON THE OUD?  MOST PLAYERS USE THEM:

THIRDS

The simplest chord we can play is using two notes simultaneously.  Here we use thirds, also known as playing 'double stops', or in Greek - διπλοπεννιές.  You should work on using these individually or in succession, as Udi Yorgos Batzanos often did.  Even if it's not your style, it's a very good exercise that helps your hands learn the finger board much better.

THIRDS EXAMPLES

BASIC CHORDS (TONIC WITH FIFTHS ONLY, MAJOR, AND MINOR)

On the oud, there are some common chords that are used, including chords that only utilize octaves and fifths, as well as typical chords that use the first, third, fifth, and higher octave.

BASIC CHORDS EXAMPLES

7TH CHORDS

A seventh chord is just a regular chord, major or minor, that utilizes the seventh of the chord's tonic with the first, third, and fifth (usually).

SOME 7TH CHORD EXAMPLES

ARPEGGIOS

An arpeggio is simply when we pluck each note of a chord individually and in succession.

ARPEGGIO EXAMPLES

FILLS - TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A REST OR 'LONG NOTE':

'STRAIGHT LINE' FILLS

By 'straight line' I mean playing a fill who's notes are basically in a row.  Here are some examples:

STRAIGHT LINE FILL EXAMPLES

'CIRCULAR' FILLS

By 'circular' I mean that we play notes around the 'long note' to add some ornamentation.  Here are some examples:

CIRCULAR FILL EXAMPLES

ARPEGGIO FILLS

Here we simply play the notes of a chord or chords to fill in some time in the song for ornamentation:

ARPEGGIO FILL EXAMPLES

   I hope these examples have been helpful for you.  Please remember that these are only the beginning, and while you are free to use these as a guide, try and develop your own style of playing by exposing yourself to lots of different styles, and through lots of practice.