When I started learning Arabic music around twenty years ago, I wasn’t able to find a good introductory book in English that was aimed at musicians. As such, my training was by and large oral; I learned the tradition from teachers and fellow musicians, as well as through extensive listening.
Johnny Farraj and Sami Abu Shumays
Johnny Farraj is a Lebanese-born musician and software engineer of Palestinian descent. His main instrument is the riqq; he also plays the 'ud and sings. Farraj is the creator of the Maqam World website (maqamworld.com), the leading Internet reference on Arabic music theory, and is a frequent Arabic music blogger, teacher and performer, as well as a lifelong listener.
Sami Abu Shumays is a Palestinian-American musician, arts administrator, and independent scholar, who travelled to Cairo and Aleppo to immerse himself in Arabic Music. After returning to the U.S., he began performing and teaching, founded the ensemble Zikrayat (zikrayatmusic.com), and developed the pedagogical website Maqam Lessons (maqamlessons.com). He is currently Deputy Director of Flushing Town Hall (flushingtownhall.org), an arts presenter in Queens, NY.