String instruments
Oud
Oud: A string instrument with a deep, pear-shaped body and a fretless neck, played with a pick. An instrument shared by Arabic, Persian and Turkish music; it is regarded as the ancestor of the European lute. Theorists such as al-Farabi and Safi al-Din explained their interval calculations on the neck of the oud.
In brief
- Family: Plucked string instrument (short-necked, fretless lute family)
- Origin: Middle East; related to the Persian barbat and regarded as the ancestor of the European lute
- Body and materials: Deep pear-shaped bowl of about 20 thin staves; usually three sound holes
- Strings: Six courses (five pairs and one single), 11 strings in all
- Frets: Fretless; every comma interval is played by finger placement
- Playing: Held horizontally on the lap and played with a long, flexible plectrum
- Music: Turkish, Arabic and Persian classical music; fasıl and taksim
- 16th–17th centuries: Mentioned in Revani's İşaretname; in Evliya Çelebi's time the oud was not much in favour, as the public preferred the tanbur[1, 2]
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History
An instrument shared by Arabic, Persian and Turkish music; it is regarded as the ancestor of the European lute. Theorists such as al-Farabi and Safi al-Din explained their interval calculations on the neck of the oud.
Construction
It consists of a large pear-shaped body built from staves, a thin soundboard usually with three sound holes, and a short fretless neck. Usually eleven strings are fitted in six courses; the pegbox is bent backwards.
How it is played
It is played with a long, flexible plectrum. Because the neck is fretless, any comma interval can be played by choosing the finger position.
Its place in makam music
In classical Turkish music it is both an accompanying and a solo instrument, with a very strong taksim tradition. Its fretless neck allows it to render the comma nuances of the makams freely.
Getting started: types, sizes, tuning
- Turkish and Arabic oud: They are almost identical in construction; the Arabic oud's string length is about 1 cm longer (59.5 cm) and it is tuned a whole tone lower.
- Strings: Apart from the bam teli (bass string), the five strings are double.
- Tuning: From high to low: gerdâniye (G), nevâ (D), dügâh (A), hüseynîaşiran (E), kaba bûselik (B) and kaba ırak (F sharp) or kaba hüseynîaşiran (E).
- Body: Made of about 20 ribs; the soundboard, about 1 mm thick, is spruce or fir.[1]
Start with this instrument
Masters on recordings
Performers who play this instrument on recordings of works in the score archive (MusicBrainz).
Frequently asked questions about the Oud
What is the difference between the Turkish oud and the Arabic oud?
They are built the same way, but the Turkish oud usually has a slightly smaller body and a higher tuning; its timbre is brighter and clearer. The Arabic oud is mostly a little larger, tuned lower and fuller in sound. Their tunings and playing styles have also diverged. Even so, either can easily play the other's repertoire; the difference lies mainly in tone color.
How many strings does the oud have, and how is it tuned?
It is usually strung with eleven strings: five double courses and one single string; on some ouds the lowest string is doubled too, bringing the total to twelve. The strings are mostly tuned in fourths; this arrangement lets you play makam scales with little shifting along the neck. The Turkish and Arabic traditions differ slightly in which pitch each string is tuned to.
How are the oud and the lute related?
The European lute developed from the form of the oud that reached Europe via Andalusia and the Mediterranean; its name also comes from the Arabic word “al-ud”. Over time the European lute acquired a fretted neck and a different tuning, while the oud stayed fretless. In the Ottoman world of the 18th–19th centuries, however, the name “lavta” was given to a different instrument, similar to the oud but fretted and smaller.
Is the oud hard to learn, and where do I start?
Producing the first sounds is easy; the challenge is finding the right pitch on the fretless neck. So your ear and left hand gradually memorize where the pitches are. Students usually start with études and songs in common makams such as Rast, Uşşak, Nihavend and Hicaz. Establishing a steady down-up plectrum stroke and accurate fingering under a teacher's supervision speeds up progress.
Can I play the oud on this site?
Yes. The “Play in the browser” button on this page opens the virtual oud; the sounds are notes of a real oud, recorded one by one. Since the oud is fretless, the virtual oud also gives every pitch of the makam you choose at its exact comma value. On piece pages, the “Play it yourself” step lets you take a piece's makam straight to the virtual oud.