The Oud - The Musical Instrument of the Middle East
The oud is a musical instrument of the lute type. It is a short-neck lute with a body of about 12 to 25 mm in length and a head of about 20 to 30 mm in length. The oud can be plucked, strummed, or twanged. It is a single-row, bar-shaped instrument with 11 or 13 strings, which are arranged in five or six courses. A typical oud is the main instrument of the Arabophone subfamily of the Turkish family of stringed instruments. It is used in a wide range of musical genres in the Arab world, from classical music to pop and rock, and is the main instrument of the popular music of the Arab world. It is an important instrument in the music of many different countries in the Middle East, such as Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey.
