Eastern Strings by Nathan Craver

Egyptian Oud
Purchased 2006
From Gawharet El Fan, Cairo, Egypt
www.gawhara.com.eg

The English word lute, which derives from the Spanish laud, originally came from the Arabic al-'ud, literally meaning 'branch of wood.' Between the eighth and tenth centuries, the 'ud had only four strings; a fifth was added in the eleventh century by Zeryab, who was originally from Persia and brought many innovations to the Andalusian courts of southern Spain, and a sixth later on in the fifteenth century.

Shaped like half a pear with a short fretless neck, the 'ud has five or six pairs (or 'courses') of strings played with a plectrum (called a 'risha') - originally a trimmed eagle's feather, but now normally made of horn or plastic - producing a deep and mellow sound. Like a violin, the fretless neck of the oud allows the player to produce a very expressive tone and to play any of the notes in the quartertone Arabic scales (or maqams). Virtuosos across the Middle East refer to it as 'the King of all instruments.'

This instrument came strung with five courses, tuned FADgc(low to high). I recently changed the strings and added a high 'f' pair as a sixth course.

For further information about the oud, see Mike's Oud Site.

Recording: Sharia M. Ali (MP3, 1.9MB)
Improvised over frame drums after I brought this instrument back from Cairo, November 2006