Description:

Early History of the Oud: The name oud or ud, translates as [the wood], [twig] or [aromatic rod]. In the Mediterranean and throughout the Levant and the Middle East. The oud came into contact with numerous civilizations who include the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Armenians, Persians, Kurds, Jews, Greeks, Egyptians and eventually the Romans. Some of the earliest documented evidence of the oud dates back to the Uruk civilization in Southern Mesopotamia 5000 years ago. According to the author Al Farabi [b. 872 – d. 950] a legend tells of the oud was invented by Lamech who is the sixth grandson of Adam. In his grief Lamech hung the body of his dead son from a tree. The inspiration of the oud came from the shape of his son's bleached skeleton. Current findings by Enis Espike circa 1972 focus on clay pots that were discovered in the Shush or Susa region during the Elamite era. Although the “kinnor” is associated with King David is a type of Lyre. The Arabic language bible translates the name of this musical instrument from “kinnor” to oud. Miwardi, the jurist of Baghdad spoke of the oud as having medicinal properties for treating illness. External sources document the existence of the oud in Pharonic Egypt. This includes the Greek philosopher Herodotus [b. 484 B.C. d. 425 B.C]. He had written about musicians playing ouds on the Nile river. The oud arrived in Andalusia from the Ummayid Caliphate in the year 711 during the 8th century. Abu l-Hasan 'Ali Ibn Nafi' nicknamed “Zyryab” [b. 789 – d.857] a noted musician and polymath. After his arrival in Andalusia Spain he developed a curriculum for teaching the oud. By adding a fifth course of strings, he contributed to the evolving design of the oud.

Anatomy of the Oud: The body of the oud is a bowl shaped and it is created from 16 to 21 staves. The neck of the oud is created separately in the process of making the oud. After the completion of the body the neck is made separately and then it is inserted into the wood after the neck and head stock are assembled together. Then the neck along with the head stock are affixed into the front of the body. The bridge, nut, head stock and tuning pegs are created last. Since its earliest developments the oud was created from many different woods including sandalwood, pine, walnut, pistachio, beech, maple and cypress. Many modifications, improvements and tunings to the oud have been contributed by musicians or luthiers. In the Arabic countries of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon the oud has a slightly wider body and longer neck having 6 courses or 12 strings. In Turkey, Iran and Greece the oud has a smaller body and shorter neck. Having 5 courses or 11 strings. The size and shape of the Greek outi is directly influenced from a luthier who lived in Constantinople now Istanbul. In Iraq Munir Bachir [b. 1930 d. Sept 28, 1997] added two more courses to the current 11 stringed oud resulting in a 13 stringed oud.

About my Specimen: On my oud there are 21 staves in which complete the body. The front of the body is of sanded down single peace of wood in which is separated then placed back together. Also a fixed bridge is in place, rarely ouds have movable bridges. In the past strings made of silk and animal hide have been used. In contemporary 20th and 21st century times; D'dario and many other string-set-manufacturers are known to produce string sets. A nut and fixed bridge are added in the construction of the oud. In contemporary times various oud hybrids, a double necked oud akin to the double neck guitar has been made and also beautiful hand made electric ouds by Najarian have been made.