Music Guides
How Long Are Umm Kulthum Songs? Why Her Classics Last an Hour
Umm Kulthum's best-known songs run about 50 to 60 minutes, and live versions ran longer. Here is why, what to expect, and how to listen for the first time.
Nagm · نغم · melody
Arabic and Dutch music, explained for curious listeners.
Plain-English guides to maqam, the oud and the darbuka, the great Arab voices, and the Dutch folk, organ and dance traditions, with the sources to keep exploring.
Newest guide · No. 27How to Play the Oud for Beginners: Tuning, Pick and a First-Week Routine
New to the oud? Learn the common tunings, how to hold the risha, why maqam Rast is the best first scale, and a simple 15-minute routine for your first week.
Two shores, one melody
Start with the tradition you are curious about. Each shelf lists our newest guides first.
Arabic music
Maqam, great voices, Khaliji, Andalusian and modern Arab sounds.
Dutch music
Folk songs, street organs, Frisian culture and the electronic scene.
- Amsterdam Dance Event at 30: How ADE Works in 2026
- Famous Dutch Folk Songs: 9 Classics and the Stories Behind Them
- The Dutch Export Machine: How Small-Country Music Went Global
- The Songs of Friesland: A Linguistic Minority's Musical Heritage
- The Golden Age Sound: Dutch Music in the Renaissance and Baroque
Instruments & rhythm
Oud, qanun, ney, darbuka and the Dutch instruments behind the tunes.
- How to Play the Oud for Beginners: Tuning, Pick and a First-Week Routine
- How Long Are Umm Kulthum Songs? Why Her Classics Last an Hour
- Fairuz Songs to Start With: A Listening Guide for New Listeners
- Darbuka Rhythms for Beginners: Maqsum, Baladi, Saidi and Malfuf
- Arabic Musical Instruments: A Beginner's Guide to the Oud, Qanun, Ney and Darbuka
Try it · rhythm pad
Hear the four rhythms behind Arabic music
Pick a rhythm and press play. Every Arabic rhythm is built from two strokes: dum, the deep note from the centre of the drum, and tak, the crisp note from the rim. Slow it down, count along, then listen for it in a song.
dumtakrest
Maqsum 4/4 The everyday groove of Arabic pop and classical songs. If you learn one rhythm, learn this.
Latest guides
Numbered in the order we published them, like tracks on a record.
Music Guides
Fairuz Songs to Start With: A Listening Guide for New Listeners
New to Fairuz? Start with these five songs, then explore the Rahbani classics, her poetry songs, the jazzier Ziad Rahbani albums and her Christmas hymns.
Instruments
Darbuka Rhythms for Beginners: Maqsum, Baladi, Saidi and Malfuf
Learn the four darbuka rhythms behind most Arabic pop and dance music: maqsum, baladi, saidi and malfuf, with simple counts, the dum and tak strokes and a practice plan.
Instruments
Arabic Musical Instruments: A Beginner's Guide to the Oud, Qanun, Ney and Darbuka
Meet the six instruments of the Arabic takht: oud, qanun, ney, violin, riq and darbuka. How each is played, what to listen for and which to learn first.
Arabic Music
Arab Music Festival Cairo 2026: A Listener's Guide
The 34th Arab Music Festival runs 20–30 October 2026 at the Cairo Opera House, honouring Hany Shaker. What it is, its 1932 roots and how to listen along.
Dutch Music
Amsterdam Dance Event at 30: How ADE Works in 2026
ADE 2026 runs 21–25 October with 1,300+ events. How the Amsterdam Dance Event works, its 1996 origins, tickets, free events and tips for first-timers.
Instruments
Traditional Dutch Instruments: Street Organs, Midwinter Horns and More
Street organs, carillons, midwinter horns, the rommelpot and the hommel: a guide to traditional Dutch instruments, how they work and where to hear them today.
Dutch Music
Famous Dutch Folk Songs: 9 Classics and the Stories Behind Them
From the Wilhelmus to Heer Halewijn and the Sinterklaas steamboat song: nine famous Dutch folk songs, where they come from and the surprising stories behind them.
Arabic Music
The Poem That Became a Song: Arabic Poetry and Musical Tradition
In the Arabic tradition, poetry and music have never been fully separated. Understanding this — understanding that the great Arabic songs are also great Arabic poems — changes how you hear everything.
Why "Nagm"?
Nagm (نغم) is Arabic for melody. We write beginner-friendly explainers on Arabic and Dutch music and link to the reference sources and official recordings we rely on, so you can listen for yourself. About Nagm