Meaning “from wood” in Arabic, the oud is commonly known as the Sultan of all instruments. With its history dating back centuries, the oud is still an integral part of many styles of Arabic music today, from religious to pop music. Its ancestor is an instrument known as the barbat, which was popular during the Persian Empire. Today there are many varieties of the oud, including the Arabic, Turkish, and Persian oud.
Over the centuries, the oud has influenced the music of many cultures as it made its way through the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. “For me, the oud is emblematic of the human experience: it tells a story of travel, trade, innovation, and most of all cultural exchange, demonstrating the ways in which people, like the objects we create, can be both unified and unique,” said Nate Steele in his article Nahat Oud for the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. In 711 AD, the Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula and they brought the oud with them. A few more centuries and the oud gave rise to the European lute.
The Oud
In its early forms, the oud had four strings, but today it typically has eleven. The strings are arranged as five pairs, called courses, with a single low string. Before the relatively recent invention of metal and nylon strings, instruments used strings made of gut, specifically sheep intestine.
The oud’s distinctive pear-shaped body has three sound holes which are sometimes filled with beautiful decorations of carved bone. Musicians use a plectrum (a pick) to play its strings. This plectrum is called a risha and is traditionally made from an eagle’s quill. Its lack of frets also allows players to easily play microtones. Think of two keys next to each other on a piano. Any tone between those keys is a microtone.
The Sound
Below is oud player Naseer Shamma performing Cities of Daffodils.
If you enjoyed this look into the oud I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
And if you’re looking to learn more here is a wonderful video from Brandon Acker.
Sources:
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. Oud. Encyclopedia Britannica. March 2023. https://www.britannica.com/art/ud.
“Introducing: The Arabic Oud.” YouTube, uploaded by Brandon Acker, youtube.com/watch?v=KA5VdzRHh-U.
Oud. Cleveland Museum of Art. https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1918.350.
Santa Maria Bouquet, Jonathan. The Lute. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. April 2010, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lute/hd_lute.htm%20(April%202010).
Steele, Nate. Nahat Oud. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. January 2024. https://mfa.org/article/2024/nahat-oud.
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The oud is one of many paired string instruments. Lutes, various mandolins, Greek bouzouki, Irish bouzouki, 12-string guitar, etc. The paired strings create a kind of jangly sound because while plucked simultaneously, they vibrate at different times. Listeners generally associate the sound with exotic locations and histories.
One interesting thing about the paired string effect is that ensembles that play traditional Irish tunes are really popular at Renfairs, especially when they include an Irish bouzouki. While people might think they're transported back to the 13th century, they're really listening to tunes composed in the last 150 years.
Love the sounds of it!
In Dutch oud means old and hout is wood....