I am currently accepting oud, guitar and composition students of all levels for in-person lessons in Brooklyn, New York.
I also teach online lessons worldwide via Zoom/Skype/Facetime. If you've been wanting to learn oud, level up your improvisation skills, deepen your understanding of composition or harmony, or just feeling stuck in your musical progress, get in touch! I'm happy to discuss how we can achieve your musical goals.

• Oud lessons in person (Brooklyn, NY)
• Online oud lessons $65/hr (discount available for multi-lesson packages)
• Guitar lessons, all levels
• Improvisation lessons (jazz, Arabic, blues/rock, etc.)
• Composition/arranging/orchestration lessons

I can help you with:
• Ear Training (Western/harmonic/jazz and/or Arabic/maqam/microtonal)
• Technical development (oud or guitar—picking, sound production, articulation, speed, etc.)
• Reading music (oud or guitar)
• Strengthen rhythmic sense and expand rhythmic vocabulary
• Jazz (jazz theory, harmony, repertoire, interpretation, improvisation)
• Music Theory (keys, intervals, harmony, counterpoint)
• Arranging (Arabic ensemble, jazz ensemble, chamber/orchestral music)
• Arabic music (maqam theory, repertoire, ornamentation, improvisation)
• Form and structure in music (for composers and improvisers)
• General improvisation (chordal, non-chordal)
• Melodic development for improvising and composing
• Compositional techniques and concepts

To me, teaching is a vital part of being a musician. I hope to continue learning about music for the rest of my life, and helping musicians who are at a different point in their musical journey is an important part of that. In my time as a musician, I've come to believe that communities are a central part of all music-making. Music is something that people do to communicate and connect with other people. Every musician is building on the discoveries and creations of the musicians who have come before them, so it's essential that people share what they've learned with others.

My teaching philosophy is that everyone who is motivated and passionate about music can learn to play music. Everyone has different learning styles. Some people find that their natural learning style is well-suited to learning music. These people are often termed “talented” (in my opinion, a loaded and misleading term that I’ll probably discuss at some point in a blog post). Music teachers traditionally love these students, as they are easy to teach and learn quickly with minimal effort from the teacher, just guidance and perspective.

Other people find that the learning style most native to them isn’t really well-suited to learning music. Unfortunately, these people sometimes conclude that they are simply “unmusical” (a conclusion often encouraged by music teachers who don’t really know how to connect with different learning styles). What is needed instead is to cultivate a learning style that creates a more direct relationship with music. I work to identify the learning style of each student, and then work to expand their learning methods to be more music-friendly.

Of course music is an extremely complex and multifaceted endeavor. These things are not black-and-white. Indeed, someone might find their learning style is very conducive to technique, but not improvisation. Or is great for composing, but not performing. In my own development, I’ve worked to develop effective methods for improving all of these areas, and I use that experience to help guide students and help them avoid common pitfalls.

Lesson Options

Standard Lesson (1 hour)

$70.00

60 minute lessons are ideal for intermediate and advanced students, as well as those who may be new to the oud but are proficient on another instrument. This allows time for assessing specific areas for individual improvement, developing repertoire, and other more advanced topics like taqasim and ear training.

For beginners and intermediate players looking for a more economical option, I also offer 45-minute and 35-minute lessons.

Online lesson. Please contact via the contact form on the "Teacher" page for scheduling. Time zone is NYC, US (Eastern Time zone).
Lessons conducted via zoom, if you have another preference (Skype, Google, Facetime) please make a request when scheduling and I can try to accommodate.

Economy Lesson (45 minutes)

$55.00

45 minutes is good length of time for beginners and most intermediate oud players, and is more economical for those on a budget.

Online lesson. Please contact via the contact form on the "Teacher" page for scheduling. Time zone is NYC, US (Eastern Time zone).

Lessons conducted via zoom, if you have another preference (Skype, Google, Facetime) please make a request when scheduling and I can try to accommodate.

Beginner lesson (35 Minutes)

$44.00

Shorter lessons can be good for beginners if you can meet consistently.
More advanced players generally benefit from longer lessons.

Included in each lesson: any necessary sheet music (songs, instrumentals, exercises) Audio recording for reference will be shared as needed.

Online lesson. Please contact via the contact form on the "Teacher" page for scheduling. Time zone is NYC, US (Eastern Time zone).

Lessons conducted via zoom, if you have another preference (Skype, Google, Facetime) please make a request when scheduling and I can try to accommodate.

Standard Bundle: 5 Lessons

$350.00 Save 16.0%!

$294.00

Five one-hour lessons. This is the $56 discount on the regular rate.

Sixty minute lessons are ideal for intermediate and advanced students, as well as those who may be new to the oud but are proficient on another instrument. This allows time for assessing specific areas for individual improvement, developing repertoire, and other more advanced topics like taqasim and ear training.

For beginners and intermediate players looking for a more economical option, I also offer 45-minute and 35-minute lessons.

Normally lessons are once a week but can be spread out according to your schedule (I don’t advise spreading out lessons for most students, unless you are high-intermediate to advanced already).

Online lesson. Please contact via the contact form on the "Teacher" page for scheduling. Time zone is NYC, US (Eastern Time zone). Lessons conducted via zoom, if you have another preference (Skype, Google, Facetime) please make a request when scheduling and I can try to accommodate.

Economy Bundle: 6 Lessons

$330.00 Save 15.76%!

$278.00

Six 45-minute lessons, bundle saves you $52 compared to the regular rate.
45 minutes is good length of time for beginners and most intermediate oud players, and is more economical for those on a budget.

Lessons conducted via zoom, if you have another preference (Skype, Google, Facetime) please make a request when scheduling and I can try to accommodate.

Beginner Bundle: 6 Lessons

$264.00 Save 14.77%!

$225.00

Six 35-minute lessons. This is a $39 discount on the regular rate. Shorter lessons can be good for beginners if you can meet consistently.
More advanced players generally benefit from longer lessons.

Included in each lesson: any necessary sheet music (songs, instrumentals, exercises) Audio recording for reference will be shared as needed.

Lessons conducted via zoom, if you have another preference (Skype, Google, Facetime) please make a request when scheduling and I can try to accommodate.

I offer several lesson options, as well as discounts for lesson packages.

The standard lesson is 60 minutes and is the most popular, especially with intermediate and advanced players.

The 45-minute lesson is an economical option, suitable for all levels.

Total beginners may find the longer lessons a bit overwhelming and prefer the short 35-minute lesson option.

All three lesson types are available in a package option, saving you between $39 and $56.

Teaching Experience:
Adjunct Instructor (oud, music theory) — Arabic Music Retreat directed by Simon Shaheen
Adjunct Instructor (jazz guitar & Ensembles) — Loyola University New Orleans
Adjunct Instructor (guitar, jazz harmony, music theory) — Delgado Community College
Masterclass instructor — SUNY Buffalo, Towson University, University of New Orleans, McDaniel College, Loyola University, UL Lafayette, Hunter College
Educational Performances/Presentations — various primary schools, Brooklyn Library, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Arts Council, NY Arabic Orchestra
Instructor, Arabic Music Ensemble Workshops — NY Arabic Orchestra

Educational Background:
Master of Music, Jazz Studies (Guitar) — University of New Orleans
Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies (Guitar) — Loyola University New Orleans
Studied with Simon Shaheen, Charbel Rouhana, Kamil Shajrawi, Rima Khcheich, Dr. AJ Racy — Arabic Music Retreat
Private oud study with Simon Shaheen, Najib Shaheen, Bassam Saba
Orchestration, Composition for Film — Berklee College of Music
Residency — Banff Creative Music Workshop with Dave Douglas

Performance (selected):
• Simon Shaheen & Qantara (guitar)
• Matt Darriau/Paradox Trio (guitar, oud)
• Wajde Ayub (oud)
• Michael Bates/Outside Sources (oud)
• Sami Abu Shumays/Zikrayat (oud)
• Samer Ali & Takht al-Nagham (oud)
• Gaida (oud, guitar)
• Shelley Thomas (oud)
• Nano Raies (oud, guitar)
• Ravish Momin/Trio Tarana (oud)
• Eric Pakula (guitar)
• Bassam Saba/NY Arabic Orchestra (oud, buzuq)
As leader/co-leader:
• Michel Merhej Baklouk/Bil Afrah Project (oud, keyboard)
• Nashaz (oud)
• Sharq Attack (oud)

As Composer:
Moopim — modern dance/theater
Taxi Casablanca — documentary
Made in Islam — documentary
Beirut on the Bayou — documentary
Nashaz — album
Brian Prunka Quartet — album
Continuum (Prunka/Jenner) — album
The Michael Jenner Group — album
The Ocular Concern — EP

New! Learn Oud Online

I've recently embarked on a new venture; I'm creating video tutorials and sharing a variety of online teaching materials and resources through my new YouTube channel and newsletter. Check out some of what I've posted so far, and subscribe if you want to stay up to date. Some content and offers will only be sent to newsletter subscribers, and not posted elsewhere so make sure to subscribe if you don't want to miss anything!

Subscribe to the newsletter here and get a free transcription of an oud taqsim in maqam nahawand by Mohamed Abdel Wahab.