Arab style music
 

Hey guys im trying to arab style sounding tunes to learn to teach me how to play it. Sort of like the stuff you hear in Killing an Arab by The Cure.

If anyone knows any cool bands that play with that style id love to hear some. Thanks

perhaps say listen to some hossam ramzy

im thinking something more with guitars. I guess you could sort of say like NIRVANAs Love Buzz.

I would steer away from anything by non-Arabs. Get one of those 'beginners guide to the Oud' or something like that. You've asked an incredibly vague question, by the way, what with Arabic scales/ modes having as many interpolations as (so-called) 'Western' scales - my theory isn't great, and I don't have any of the records you mentioned, but I suspect that both are a mode of a natural minor rather than particularly 'Arabic'.

It's a big world. Check the 'world music' thread. Loads of shizzle in there.

killing an arab is not arab music.

Haha!

keep smoking pot until it sounds like you're doing it.

As Glice already said, check out the world music thread where the 3/4 cats normally congregate. Plenty of shatteringly good music on there.

I highly recommend the "Guitar Music from the Western Sahara" LP by Group Doueh, new on Sublime Frequencies. This is an amazing album of psychedelic music from northwest Africa, and it sounds probably like no guitar rock album you've ever heard. It's steeped in the traditional sounds of Western Sahara, but this Doueh dude got turned on to Hendrix and sounds of 60's psychedelia and developed this unique guitar style out of it.

Check this out...

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/it...Western-Sahara

if you noticed, i never directly said killing an arab is arab music. I said i was looking for arab 'style sounding' tunes, sure you can be a dick about it but you know what im looking for when i say that. I then said 'Sort of like the stuff you hear in Killing an Arab by The Cure.'

Alternatively, check out the first Savage Republic LP. It's pretty much exactly what you're asking for.

Yeah, I don't think there's anything Arabic about that song other than the lyrics "Killing an Arab". haha.

You're wrong, the song uses the Arabic scale ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_scale ).

Does it really, though?

I can find all those notes with my minimal knowledge of natural minor scale.

I think it's the flamenco style that makes it seem a little bit Moorish.

Seconded on the recommendation of Savage Republic for Alien Anal. And not just the first album, although it is my favorite, too. All Savage Republic has that Middle East texture to it.

The guitarist Bruce Licher once told my friend that he restringed his guitar so that there were six of the same exact guage of string, and then he set each to a middle C. My friend tried it and told me that no matter what he did, it had the same chimey sound as a Savage Republic song. So I tried it, and guess what...IT WORKS!

Just playing random fretwork resulted in rad SR-style sounds.

Yes, the solo uses the Arabic scale in the key of B. But it's true there's also a flamenco influence (notably in the E / F and A / Bb rythmic parts), probably because flamenco also uses augmented thirds.

Okay, I can trust that!

Arab on Radar.

Not to mention Arab Strap.

How could I forget.

Also, pick up Belle & Sebastion - The Boy With The Arab Strap.

you could try Secret Cheifs 3's latest 'Book of Horizons', thats got some amazing middle eastern stuff on there, provided you dont mind a bit of Mr Bungle-esque wierdness

I made a crap quality video with my webcam where I play a solo in Arabic scale in the style of Killing an arab:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/a72l3w

I'm actually gonna try that; which gauge did you go with?

Oh, and yeah... Ceremonial's probably my favourite actually, but a little less Arabic-tinged I guess.

Try Richard Bishop's solo stuff as well as Torch of the Mystics by Sun City Girls.

Not arab per se, but a good "jazz" record combining oud, tablas and saxophone, sometimes individually. There's at least one solo song by each, it's one of my favorites when high, but you've got to be able to stand Garbarek's sax tone, which is okay on this record. Some of his other stuff on the other hand is quite new age-y. It's an acquired taste, like most stuff on ECM

I've never been able to get Jan Garbarek, I listened to Twelve Moons but it just sounded too 80's with the over the top synths and drum sound , and his almost smooth jazz tone. Does this album sound as overly produced? Cos I love the idea of middle eastern jazz, especially Duke Ellington's Far East Suite, and am curious about this cd.

If you want to pick up vocal riffs, I'd highly recommend anything by the Lebanese singer Fairuz. Demonrail666 turned me onto her, and her stuff is simply gorgeous.