Oud
Origin of the Oud
Description of the Oud
Tuning the Oud
Playing the Oud
Origin of the Oud
The Oud is a chordophone. Arabic legend claims the Oud to be a very long lived instrument with an illustrious history. These legends attribute the invention of the Oud, in the 3rd century, to Lamak, the grandson of the first man- Adam. Modern musical historians place the inception of the Oud much later.
The ancestors to the Oud may go back to Pharaonic Egypt. At that time the body was carved from a solid piece of wood. This Egyptian chordophone was called the Nefer. The Persian invaders brought this instrument home and renamed it the Barbet. This solid bodied chordophone continued its eastward expansion into what is modern day Russia, China and Japan. In the fifth century, Persians traveled westward to the Arabian Peninsula to help in the rebuilding of the Ka’ba in Mecca. They brought the Barbat with them. There it became known as an Oud. In Arabic, al ud means ‘the Wood.’ Referring to this instrument as ‘the Wood’ reflects its delicate construction.
The Oud underwent a number of changes during the Abbasid Caliphate, or Arab Golden Age. Reportable, the great Iraqi musician Zeriab was driven out of Baghdad and took the Oud with him to Spain. There, by the Moorish Period (711-1492), it finally evolved its characteristic stave body construction. At that time Spain was a great center of learning, science and art. It attracted influential persons from varied cultures. The music played on the Oud reflected the melding of the Greek, Persian, and Arabic cultures. The instrument and its sounds attracted the attention of eastern peoples in the area. Among the many Middle Eastern innovations brought to Europe by the returning Crusaders was the Oud. In Europe the Oud eventually evolved into the Troubadour’s Lute.
Description of the Oud
The Oud has a large pear-shaped soundboard. The soundboard has three ornately carved rosettes that function as sound-holes. The larger rosette is under the strings, while two smaller rosettes are above and below the strings. There are six courses of strings, with two strings per course. Traditionally the strings were plucked with a plectrum made of an eagle feather or of water buffalo horn.
The Strings are attached on the face of the soundboard and run over a fret-less neck. Traditionally Oud strings ran in four courses of two each. Latter a fifth course was added. Today it is common to see five courses of two stings and an additional single string. Tin order to more evenly distribute the stress of the strings they attach to tuning pegs from alternate sides of the peg-box. The peg box is attached to the neck at an acute angle and is almost the same length as the neck The neck is relatively short, less that half as long as the length of the soundboard.
Curving deeply behind the soundboard is the body of the Oud. The Body is constructed of interlocking bent boards. This style of construction is called stave construction. Often the staves are of alternating dark and light colored woods to add to the visual interest of the body.
Tuning the Oud
When the Arabic Oud had four courses of two strings each the tuning was CDGA or ADGC. When the fifth course was added it was usually tuned to G. The sixth course with the single string is usually tuned to D. So with six courses the tuning, low to high, is DGCDGA or DGADGC. Although it should not be implied that other tunings are incorrect. This instrument can be tuned differently for different styles of music. In general the Turkish Oud, which is slightly smaller, is tuned slightly higher. The difference in tuning is related to the vocal preferences of the different cultural groups. The DGADGC tuning is preferred by the Arabic and EABEAD preferred by the Turkish players.
Playing the Oud
Sit upright and cross your right leg over the left. Hold the neck in your left hand and rest the body on your right thigh. Your right arm should wrap around the base of the Oud so you hand comes to the soundboard. Do not drape your right arm over the top of the instrument. The soundboard should be vertical and not visible to the player. The right thigh and arm should support the Oud leaving the left arm and hand free to move along the neck. The fingers of the left hand note the strings on the neck. Some experiences players note the strings with their fingernail, and not the tip of the finger.
The Oud plectrum is not held the way you would hold a guitar pick. The guitar pick is held between the tip of the thumb and the tip edge of the index finger. The Oud pick is long and thin, reminiscent of the eagle’s quill. It is more flexible than the guitar pick. You can make your own pick from a number of objects including, cutup plastic bleach bottles or any number of other plastic objects. The thinner the plastic the more delicate the sound, thicker plastic provides a louder sound.
The Oud pick lies along the edge of the index finger, and protrudes beyond the end of the finger. The pad of the thumb, not the tip, then gently rests over the pick and holds it in place. When playing, the thumb will be parallel to the soundboard and your index finger will point at the strings. The motion of playing is then with the wrist not the forearm. Practice keeping your fingers, hand and arm as relaxed as possible.
