Courses Arabic Music Theory I
All levels
Arabic Music Theory I
The basic skills to read, write and ‘talk’ music. Rhythms and melodies in notation, recognising maqamaat, and the signs and symbols in a musical score. Recommended alongside the Oud Beginner course that follows at 12:00.
Fee £175 (10 weeks)
Secure checkout hosted by the Arab British Centre , our partner venue.
About this course
The basic skills to read, write and ‘talk’ music. Rhythms and melodies in notation, recognising maqamaat, and the signs and symbols in a musical score. Recommended alongside the Oud Beginner course that follows at 12:00.
What you'll cover
This is the reading and writing course. One hour on a Saturday morning, doing one job: getting you to the point where a page of Arabic music is something you read rather than decode.
You cover rhythm and melody in notation, the signs and symbols that appear in an Arabic score — including the quarter-tone accidentals that Western notation has no need for — and how to recognise a maqam on the page as well as by ear.
It is open to all levels and it is not tied to an instrument. Darbuka students take it as often as oud students do.
It runs at 11:00, an hour before Oud Beginner, and the two are designed to be taken together. The fee is £175 rather than £350 because this is a one-hour class across the same ten weeks.
Places are limited to eight to twelve students. Enrolment opens on the open day and closes when the class is full.
If you're unsure whether this is the right level, we're happy to arrange a fifteen-minute conversation to place you correctly.
How to enrol
- Send a short note using the button above, or come to the open day.
- Agree the right level — a brief chat by phone or video if you've played before.
- Book and pay — we send a booking link with the term fee.
Course fees include all teaching materials. The Mukhtar Method books are sold separately. Concessions available for students and OAPs — please ask.
