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The oud, obtained from processed wood, is an exceptional musical instrument capable of telling stories and arousing emotions. Similar to the lute, it has mesmerizing and evocative melodies and holds the status of “sultan” of traditional instruments in Arabic music.
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Nonetheless, the appeal of oud has transcended Arab borders. Although today it is known and played mainly in the Middle East and parts of North Africa, it should be remembered that it is also taught in other territories, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where dedicated university courses are provided. It is, in fact, an instrument with an interesting history, with ancient origins and incredible versatility, capable of blending the classic and the contemporary.
Since 2022, the art of playing the oud and its craftsmanship in Iran and Syria have obtained official recognition from UNESCO, becoming part of the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This tool, therefore, deserves further investigation.
Oud: which instrument?
The oud, from Arabic “wood”, is a stringed instrument, among the most famous in traditional Arab music. It is an elegant object composed of a main wooden body with a large hole in the center, called shamsiyya, and two smaller lateral rosettes called qamarāt. The strings that pass through the sound box are generally five, although this number can vary, along with other components of the instrument.
The material and size of the oud, in fact, change based on the area of origin. As widely commented during Professor Salvatore Morra’s speech at one of the seminars “Conoscere il mondo islamico” organized by the University of Catania, some differences between the North African and Eastern instruments can be easily identifiable. The oud sharqi (oriental oud), for example, is more voluminous than the Tunisian one, and the neck lacks decorative inserts in bone and ebony, which can instead be found in the North African one.
There also exist many styles and performances of the oud, and it can be played alone or in an ensemble, accompanied by traditional songs and dances. Since it is a generally medium-sized plucked instrument, it is held similarly to a guitar: resting on a leg from which one hand plucks the strings.
As for the making of ouds, it is a centuries-old artisan tradition handed down from generation to generation. These instruments are mainly produced by men, although the interest of women artisans is increasingly growing. Up to 1-3 months of work are needed to make this instrument, and the prices are around a few hundred euros.
The first “Arab house of the oud”, a school of traditional Arabic lute music, has its heart in the Egyptian capital. Founded by Iraqi musician Nasīr Shamma in 1998 with the aim of preserving this precious musical heritage, it subsequently opened other branches in four Arab countries. Great names in Arabic music have passed through there, either as teachers or as students (or both), such as the Moroccan Saïd Chraibi or the Syrian Ghassan Youssef.
A leap into the past of 3,000 years
The Arabian lute is an instrument with ancient and, at times, uncertain origins. Probably the ancestor of the best-known Western chordophone instruments, it dates back to around the third millennium BC. Its cradle of origin, however, is hotly debated. According to some scholars, it may have been born in Persia, while for others in Mesopotamia or Egypt.
The oud is, therefore, a mysterious instrument, such that it has even been the protagonist of some legends. Since the 9th century, in fact, rumours have been circulating about the first inventor and musician of the instrument, who was named Lameck, grandson of the famous Adam, the progenitor of humanity.
Traces of the Arab lute are found throughout the Mediterranean basin and, as Professor Seifed-Din Shehadeh Abdoun describes in his study entitled The Oud Across Arabic Culture, the presence of some archaeological evidence helps shed light on the history of this ancient instrument. Research has shown, in fact, that the first ouds were small instruments, easily transportable and used during processions and religious rites.
A legacy that transcends time
The importance of the Arabic lute is such that it is known not only in the musical field, but also in literature and philosophy.
In the Umayyad and Abbasid eras, thinkers such as Ibn Sina (Avicenna), al-Kindi and al-Farabi – the latter author of the Kitab al-musiqa al-kabir (The Great Book of Music), the supreme treatise on Arab music of the Middle Ages – wrote about the oud as a basis for the study and interpretation of the Arabic musical system. They argued about questions relating to the rhythm, melody, and proportional structure of the oud. But references to the oud were also numerous in Arabic poetry, both pre-Islamic and medieval.
Thanks to these works, today it is well known that the oud was played for the most varied purposes: from entertainment to religious rituals, from solemn ceremonies to the so-called “tarab“. This term refers to a state of ecstasy induced by music, especially the Arabian lute, together with the musician’s singing and performance.
The oud today is a strong tool for building identity, an expression, for example, of the mālūf, the Tunisian mūsīqā taqlīdīyya, (literally: traditional music), a complex genre that results from the inclusion of numerous musical and poetic forms.
In conclusion, the Arabic oud is able to spread a strong feeling of cultural belonging, which lies not only in its melody and its history, but also in its rich artisan tradition as well as in the spirit of belonging it can instill.
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