This typifies the dissonant historical rhythms of the Middle East.

And so we began our lessons every single time tuning drums in particular, the kettle drums, or tympani to such a narrow pitch interval, so something like ...

Don't worry about tunes. Take a tune, sing high when they sing low, sing fast when they sing slow, and you've got a new tune.

And the music there, I would say, the instruments, the intricate rhythms, the way it's played, the setting, the context, it's all perfect. It all works perfect.

Then he explained the rhythms and forms, and played his Oud and sang, all the while explaining the cultural and social context for these different forms.