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We also offer private one-to-one oud lessons. If interested, please contact us at school@taqasim.net for further details and arrangements.
More questions? Please click below to visit our Frequently Asked Questions Page
FAQ PAGE
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OPEN DAY 13th September 2025
Where: Arab British Centre, 1 Gough Sqaure, London EC4A 3DE
When: 13th September 2025 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm (by appointment only)
Come by to meet our teachers and ask any questions you may have about our courses.
Our Open Day is by appointment. Please book your time-slot using the link below.
OPEN DAY REGISTRATION
CLICK HERE
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September 2025 Term – Wednesday Courses
Oud Upper Intermediate (in-person)
New main and secondly maqamaat that will be covered in this course include: Nahawand, Kurd, Bayat and Maqam Bayat Shor and Lami, You will also learn new techniques using the second octave and some ornamentation.
This course is designed for students who are interested in improving their Oud ornamentation techniques and to extend their knowledge of the maqam system.
In order to enroll for the Upper Intermediate course, it is required to have attended an Oud Intermediate course or to be comfortable with previously covered material and have your own instrument.
Registration: £350 (paid online)
Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
24th September – 3rd December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Dates: 24 September | 1, 8, 15, 22 (29 Break) October | 5, 12, 19, 26 November | 3rd December
Course Fee: £350
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Darbuka Advanced Plus (in-person)
This course is open to returning students who have successfully completed the Darbuka Advanced courses. The course will focus on new complex rhythms and polyrhythms. Students will have the opportunity to play solo and improvisation also alongside recorded and live music, keeping the beat with songs. They will also learn how to hum or sing along tunes while playing the darbuka and keeping time with the music.
Students will progress the accent in rhythms.
Accents can be achieved by right or left hand through beat’s dynamic changes. Accent play a crucial role in shaping rhythm and adding interest and expression to musical phrases.
Students will also explore more complex polyrhythms with ‘Hiwa’ and ornamentations with a focus on right-hand coordination and right -hand Mahbus
Students will also begin to explore the complexities of rhythmic improvisation creating their own combinations of ornamentation.
Registration: £350 (paid online) Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
24th September – 3rd December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Dates: 24 September | 1, 8, 15, 22 (29 Break) October | 5, 12, 19, 26 November | 3rd December
Course Fee: £350
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September 2025 Term – Thursday Courses
Darbuka Intermediate (in-person)
This course is open to returning students who have successfully completed the Darbuka Beginner to go to Intermediate level. The course will focus on new complex rhythms and sound equality, keeping the beat and right tempo. They will also learn how to hum or sing along tunes while playing the darbuka and keeping time with the music.
Students will also begin to explore the new complexities of rhythmic, hands coordination and new sounds.
Registration: £350 (paid online)
Course Book: Buy online here Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
25th September – 4th December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Dates: 25 September | 2, 9, 16, 23 (30 Break) October | 6, 13, 20, 27 November | 4th December
Course Fee: £350
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September 2025 Term – Friday Courses
Darbuka Beginners (in-person)
The darbuka (also darbuka, doumbec, tabla and goblet drum) is a drum with an ancient history and is widely used in the music of the Middle East and neighboring areas. It is played with the hands and has a single “head”. Originally, it was made of baked clay and an animal-skin head. Modern versions are usually made of a light metal such as aluminum and have a plastic “head”. This course will cover basic techniques such as the correct way to hold the darbuka, how to produce the correct tones (such as “dum” and “tak”) and the correct right and left-hand strokes. Students will learn a variety of popular rhythms such as Wahda, Maqsoum, Ayyub, Malfouf and Thurayya. At the end of the course, students will have the option of progressing to the Darbuka Intermediate course. Note: Students must have their own darbuka to practice between lessons. Registration: £300 (paid online)
Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
26th September – 5th December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Dates: 26 September | 3, 10, 17, 24 (31 Break) October | 7, 14, 21, 28 November | 5th December
Course Fee: £300
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Darbuka Advanced (in-person)
In this course darbuka advanced students will learn how to play solo applying improvisational rhythms while others simultaneously play a ground rhythm such as Maqsoum, Malfouf, Baladi etc. Students will also begin practicing how to accompany the oud while performing different dynamics, precise tempo and accurate pulses within each rhythm.
Students will learn the accent in rhythms.
Accent In music, is a stress or emphasis placed on a particular beat, making it stand out from the surrounding sounds. Accents can be achieved through beat’s dynamic changes (louder or softer) or (harder or lower). Accent play a crucial role in shaping rhythm and adding interest and expression to musical phrases.
Students will also explore more complex polyrhythms with ‘Hiwa’ and ornamentations with a focus on right-hand coordination and right -hand Mahbus.
Additionally, students will also learn how to play with a recorded track, song or piece of music using the dynamics while maintaining a precise tempo throughout each piece.
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Note: Students must have their own darbuka to practice between lessons.
Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
26th September – 5th December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Dates: 26 September | 3, 10, 17, 24 (31 Break) October | 7, 14, 21, 28 November | 5th December
Fee: £350
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September 2025 Term – Saturday Courses
Arabic Music Theory I (in-person)
This course is highly recommended for students who want to take oud lessons for the first time but haven’t seriously studied music before.
Learning a new instrument is challenging enough as it is: new ideas, new techniques, new pieces of music and lots and lots of practice! So, let’s make things a little easier. In this short series of classes, consisting of 5 lessons, you will learn all the basic skills you need to read, write and “talk” music. Taking a practical approach to music theory, we will be adapting the best bits from Western classical music theory and Arab classical music theory to give you all the tools you need to start your new life as a musician.
Topics for the course will include:
- Reading rhythms
- Reading melodies
- Understanding basics music theory
- Recognizing maqamaat visibly in notation
- Understanding important signs and symbols in a musical score
NOTE: We highly encourage students interested in this course to also sign up for the Oud Beginners course running straight after it on Saturdays from 12:00 – 14:00
Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
27th September – 6th December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Dates: 27 September | 4, 11, 18, 25 October | (1 Break) 8, 15, 22, 29 November | 6th December
Course Fee: £175
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Oud Beginners (in-person)
The objective of the beginner course is to acquire the fundamental techniques needed to play the oud and understand the characteristics of the Maqam Music System while studying the eight fundamental maqamaat together with traditional and popular repertoire. No previous music knowledge is required to attend this course, as most music is notated as tablature – a visual representation which does not require an understanding of music notation. However, we highly encourage beginners to sign up for our Arabic Music Theory I. This course is 10 lessons long. Each lesson runs for 2 hours. The for a maximum capacity is 7 students. Lessons are taught on a weekly basis. It is recommended that students spend time practicing material learned in between lessons. Students must have their own instrument. Teachers are available to assist in finding an Oud and to assess instruments.
Registration: £300 (paid online)
Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
27th September – 6th December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time:27 September | 4, 11, 18, 25 October | (1 Break) 8, 15, 22, 29 November | 6th December
Course Fee: £300
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Oud Upper Beginners (in-person)
The Taqasim Music School offers a more advanced set of courses for groups of students who are interested in further improving their Oud playing skills. To enroll for this course students need:
- To have completed the Oud Beginner Course
Or
- Be assessed by a teacher. To arrange for an assessment please email: school@taqasim.net
This course is 10 lessons long. Each lesson runs for 2 hours. The for a maximum capacity is 7 students. Lessons are taught on a weekly basis. It is recommended that students spend time practising material learned in between lessons. The maqamaat that will be further analyzed and transposed from different keys during this course through the study of traditional songs and piece are: Nahawand, Ajam, Kurd, Hijaz, Bayat, Rast, Saba and Segah.
Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
27th September – 6th December
10 weeks|20 hours Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm Dates:
27 September | 4, 11, 18, 25 October | (1 Break) 8, 15, 22, 29 November | 6th December
Course Fee: £300
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Oud Intermediate (in-person)
We offer a more advanced set of courses for groups of students who are interested in improving their Oud playing skills further.
In order to enroll for the Intermediate course, it is required to have attended an Oud Upper Beginner course, and have your own instrument. The teachers are available to assist in finding an Oud and in assessing instruments.
Students with existing knowledge may apply but will need to be assessed by a teacher: please contact school@taqasim.net The level is more advanced than Lower Intermediate, so students need to allocate time for daily practice and study in order to see an improvement in their playing technique. The Oud Intermediate Level 1 course is made up of 10 lessons of 2 hours each, for a maximum group of 7 students. Lessons are taught on a weekly basis. It is recommended that students spend time practising material learned in between lessons.
During the course, a selection of Maqams (Ajam, Hijaz, Hijaz Kar, Rast, Suznak) will be analyzed in detail while studying traditional repertoire to highlight the characteristics of each Maqam, accompanied by technical studies on right-hand techniques, left-hand positions, and 2-octave scales.
Note: Students must have their own oud to practice between lessons.
Registration: £350 (paid online)
Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
27th September – 6th December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time: 4:00 am – 6:00 pm
Dates: 27 September | 4, 11, 18, 25 October | (1 Break) 8, 15, 22, 29 November | 6th December
Course Fee: £350
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September 2025 Term – Sunday Courses
Oud Ensemble I (with Master Ahmed Mukhtar) (in-person)
[Ensemble: A group of musicians who perform together.]
Taqasim Music School is pleased to announce the introduction of an exciting new course starting on the 23 of April 2017.
The objective of the Oud Ensemble Course is to provide students with the opportunity to further progress their performance skills in a group setting and to be accompanied be darbuka instrument.
Each class will focus on a single Maqam and its corresponding repertoire with the goal of further developing students’ ornamentation skills such as trills and the use of qarar and jawab within each song or piece.
Through this course, students will have the chance to progress their skills collaboratively while performing as a collective ensemble as well as playing solo. A selection of traditional songs and pieces will be analyzed in detail, adding various ornamentations and dynamics. Maqams that will be explored in detail include: Ajam, Nahawand, Rast and Bayat.
This Course is open to Taqasim students who have successfully completed the Intermediate and Upper Intermediate courses.
Registration: £350 (paid online)
Course Book: Buy online here
Please allow 1 – 2 weeks for book shipment
Sign-up Here
28th September – 7th December
10 weeks|20 hours
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Dates: 28 September | 5, 12, 19, 26 October | (2 Break) 9, 16, 23, 30 November | 7th December
Course Fee: £350
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