The oud is a coursed Middle Eastern instrument of the lute family, and is often said to be the ancestor of the European renaiassance and baroque lutes. Courses are double except for one or two bass courses.

Modern ouds have five or six courses except in Iraq where seven courses is normal, with all but the lowest course double, and are fretless. Older ouds had movable frets, and some were tuned for quartertone equal temperament.

Five course oud (nine strings):

g - a a - d' d' - g' g' - c' ' c' ' (Standard tuning)
E A D G C (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon)

Six course oud (eleven strings):

F A D G C F (Standard tuning)
C F A D G C (Controversial whether anyone uses this)
D G A D G C (Old tuning)
B E A D G C (Turkish)
G C D G C F

E A B E A D (Old Turkish, Armenian and Greek)
D A B E A D (Old Turkish, Armenian and Greek)
C# F# B E A D (Classical Turkish)
B F# B E A D (Classical Turkish)

String gauges

D'Addario J95: G .022, G .022, D .028, D .028, A .025, A .025, E .029, E .029, D .033, B .033, F# .041

La Bella OU80: .022 .022 .028 .028 .025w .025w .030w .030w .034w .034w .042w

Classical Turkish music is written transposed; The above tunings are all for A=440Hz.

Seven course oud (thirteen strings):

B E A D G C F

Oud

External links