HISTORY, THEORY and PRACTICE

A century ago, the oud migrated from Ottoman Constantinople and Smyrna to the Greek islands and mainland, where it continues to be played.

This book aims at a multi-faceted perspective of the instrument and the world in which it existed and continues to exist. It addresses practical as well as theoretical issues that concern oud players, from chord replacement to understanding how our bodies function when we play, from the Pythagorean scale and temperament to maqam, rhythm and usul theory and how it applies to the oud.

Readers that play, teach or aspire to learn the oud will find all the material they need collected here. Our goal is to offer hands-on tools and inspiration for the solitary path of study and experimentation while also opening roads for communication and connection via musical practice.

Modal Music and Maqam – 166 Pieces for Performing and Teaching, Fagotto Books, Athens 2023 was written in unison with this edition by the same author and is, in essence, a companion book with sheet music for modal music compositions.

See the table of contents and introduction here