Oud
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- There are also several universities named UD.
Oud.jpg
The oud, 'oud 'ud or 'ud is a small, pear-shaped, stringed musical instrument, still in use in many Arab cultures such as that of Egypt. Regarded as a precursor to the European lute, its name is derived from the Arabic word for wood, which is probably the name of tree from which the oud was made. (Al-'ud became 'lute'.)
The oud is not fretted and was and still is used by many Arab composers for composition.
Live performances do not rely heavily on oud, for another instrument, the qanoun, can produce similar sound and is more practical, mainly because of its ability to play louder and produce wider range of sounds.
The oud's features are similar to the guitar: a sound box, five to eight pairs of strings (except the lowest string which is usually just a single string) which are called awtar (singular watar), a shorter neck (relative to the guitar) called al-raqeba, at least one hole (some have several) called al-qamaria, a bridge called al ghazala, and keys for tuning the strings called mafateeh. The bridge and the strings are attached to the instrument in a similar fashion to the flamenco or classical guitar, i.e. knotted at the bridge. The soundbox of the oud is parabolic or pear shaped, that is, it doesn't have a straight back like the guitar.
The pick for the oud is usually about the length of an index-finger, and is called the reeshe or risha. Traditionally it is made from a bird's feather (usually an ostrich feather, thus the name), but these days plastic picks are used more often.
The oud is famous for its easy improvisation, unlike other instruments which either require accompaniment or are too complex to play.
The oud was introduced into Europe by Zyriab, where it evolved into the lute and ultimately the guitar which we know today.
Well-known oud players include Munir Bashir, Farid al-Atrache, Anouar Brahem, Rabih Abou-Khalil, and Udi Hrant Kenkulian.
External links
- Oud (http://i-cias.com/e.o/oud.htm) on Encyclopedia of the Orient
- The Ud (Oud), its players and recordings (http://www.xs4all.nl/~gregors/ud/)
- Hub of Oud links (http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute/oud.html) on Wayne Cripps' lute site.
- Oud Forum (http://www.arabicouds.com)
- Oud Picks, Risha, Mizraps, Plectrums (http://www.msocp.com/newtortis.htm)de:Oud