Please contact me about the rates. Thank you!
Qanun lessons in Rotterdam
Hey! I’m Shaza. I’m an artist and musician, and I play the qanun (kanun). If you’re looking to learn this beautiful instrument, I’d love to help you get started or take your playing to the next level.
For beginners and advanced players.
My home studio is in central Rotterdam and easy to reach from anywhere in the city. Whether you’re completely new to music and want to try the qanun for the first time, or you’ve been playing for years and want to explore new techniques and develop your own style, we’ll be a great match.
Is the qanun suitable for children?
. In my experience, children really enjoy the qanun and can learn to play it quite quickly. I can also help you find an instrument if you’d like to buy or rent one.
Trial lesson
A trial lesson is the perfect way to meet, get a feel for the instrument, and discuss your goals. All lessons, including the trial, take place in my home studio in central Rotterdam. Feel free to get in touch!
What kind of music will you play?
The qanun has its roots in Middle Eastern and Turkish music, but I don’t limit myself to those styles. I enjoy playing everything and teach the genres that excite you—traditional maqam, pop, hip hop, and improvisation.
Melody and accompaniment
The three octaves of the qanun, which you can play separately or at the same time, give the instrument its unique power. Like the piano, it has a wide range. But unlike the piano, these octaves are not traditionally used to create a homophonic sound (where one hand plays melody and the other chords). Discovering how to spread sound across different octaves changed everything for me. When I realised I could do this, even though it wasn’t common, I fell in love with the instrument all over again.
My personal story
This discovery came during a difficult and uncertain time. While my mother spent eleven days crossing the sea on her way to the Netherlands, I was waiting outside school hours, hoping for reunion. It felt like the only thing I could do was practise all day. I had the time and the drive to improve, so I kept challenging myself. At one point, I decided to train each hand separately—at first just for fun, to see how far I could go. Years later, I found a way to use that skill: playing chords and melodies at the same time.
My dream
That’s where my passion started—to rethink and expand the technique of the qanun. For some people, it carries the nostalgic sound of home. But I believe the qanun can sound like home to anyone. Because “home” is not a place—it’s a feeling of warmth and safety. My dream is to help others create that feeling through music.
Lesson structure (60 minutes)
- Tuning: We start by tuning the qanun. It has many strings. By watching and listening closely you will develop your musical ear and eventually you may be able to learn to tune the qanun your self.
- Warm-up: We prepare the body and hands to get into the right physical and mental state for playing.
- Technique & playing: In the first few lessons, we focus on proper technique, plucking the strings, through guided exercises we practise together.
- Repertoire: Once you have the basics, we start learning songs and pieces. The repertoire is a mix of my material and music you personally enjoy.
- Improvisation: A key part of what you’ll learn. We regularly improvise or use improvisation to explore techniques from the exercises.
Curious?
Book a trial lesson and we can get started right away!
