Notes

Arabic Oud Instruments
The Arabic Oud is a traditional stringed instrument. Its five pairs of strings are tuned in unison, though some instruments have only one bass string. The most common tuning is C, F, D, and G. The strings of the oud are tuned to perfect fourths. Historically, the strings are made of animal gut. However, modern ouds use plastic strings and rishas made from tortoiseshell and animal horn.
Traditional strings

The traditional strings on the Arabic Oud instrument are either G or C. The oud stringing technique is based on alternating the courses of the strings from side to side of the peghead. However, this style of tuning is very popular with Turkish musicians. The strings of the Oud instrument are often tuned in a different key to the original instrument, allowing you to play a wide variety of tunes.

Fretless fingerboard

The Arabic Oud instrument is related to the lute in shape but differs in size and construction. The lute had fixed and tied frets, while the Arabic Oud has fretless fingerboards. This allows the player to slide notes and play Arabic maqam scales. A common type of Oud instrument has six courses of nylon strings and is pluckable with a long flexible strip plectrum. The instrument's length ranges from about twenty to thirty inches.
Fretless neck

Adding a Fretless Neck to an Arabic Oud Instrument can make playing a much easier experience. Because the strings of an Oud are so heavy, the neck tends to pull, making playing difficult. To avoid this, the maker of an Oud instrument should make the neck completely flat and straight. In addition, the maker should carefully sand the fretboard so that it is absolutely flat, as uneven sanding can affect the sound of the instrument.
Microtones

The concept of microtones in the Arabic Oud Instrument is a fascinating one. Arabic music makes extensive use of microtonality, with quarter-tones and three-quarter-tones occupying adjacent spaces. Interestingly, the Arabic Oud instrument plays quarter-tones much more frequently than it does three-quarter-tones. To understand why, we need to look at some examples from the Arabic music tradition.
Famous players

The Arabic Oud is an ancient stringed instrument that predates the European lute. The instrument's name derives from Arabic, meaning "wood," and refers to the strips of wood that form the instrument's body. The guitar-like instrument's short, unfretted neck is played with a plectrum. Because Arabic music has quarter-tone scales, the instrument's notes are higher and lower than their European counterparts. Oud The result is a wide range of notes in each octave, even though these sounds may not be immediately recognizable to Western ears.
Wood used

The wood used in the construction of the Arabic Oud Instrument has a rich history, from the Middle East to Europe. The instrument is often referred to as the harp of the Arabic people. Its rebirth in Kuwait was a direct result of the performance. While rehearsing for hours at a time, the artists were delighted with the response from the audience. In fact, Anjou has plans to set up a residency for oud musicians in Kuwait.

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