Oud factfile

There are mainly two distinctive features of this musical instrument. One is its pear-shaped body and the second is its fretless neck.

The body of this instrument has one-to-three sound holes, usually decorated with purfling, a narrow binding to reinforce the plates and prevent cracking along their edges. Made of laminated strips of wood, it is often contrasting in colour to add visual appeal and does not impact on the sound quality.

The oud’s body usually looks like a big gourd and it is made of a complex system of thin wood staves. The upper part is made of lightwood.

The construction of the oud is similar to that of the lute. It is made of a rounded back, which is enclosed with a soundboard. The backside of it is made of 15-25 strips of thin wood staves glued together on edge. Alternating staves (or ribs) of light and dark wood are often used. Usually, the open side of the back portion is known as the rosette.

Contrasting trim pieces are often used between staves. Patterns and wood species used generally vary from maker to maker. In better instruments the wood is always cut on the quarter from a dense hardwood.

The neck is generally made of a single piece of wood and is usually veneered in a striped pattern similar to that of the back. The pegbox is bent back at a 45-90 degree angle from the neck of the instrument. This provides the necessary tension that prevents the pegs from slipping. The tension of the strings helps to hold what would otherwise be a weak joint together. The pegbox is usually made from separate side, end and back pieces glued together.