OUD
Today I’m starting a series of articles about Arabic music instruments. Each Tuesday I will post notes and a sketch of one instrument on my blog.
The first instrument, that we are going to have look at is: OUD (arab. عود).
It is a stringed, pear shaped instrument that is popular in areas of the Middle East. Oud is considered the prototype of the European lute, that’s why it is also called Arabic lute. Oud is characterized by a lack of frets, 11 strings made of nylon (you can also find 13-stringed instruments) and 1-3 sound holes. To play the oud you use a plectrum, ar. risha.
We can hear oud in Egyptian, Syrian, Turkish, Persian, Armenian and Greek music. Depending on the country, this instrument may be slightly different in appearance, but it is always richly decorated.
Here you can see and listen to oud music: