The Haunting Sound of an Ancient Arabic Oud

Musician Brandon Acker made a wonderful explainer video about the ancient Arabic Oud. This beautiful pear-shaped instrument, related to the lute, has 11 strings (five doubled and a single bass note) that run down a fretless neck. Using half-flats and half-sharps that are unique to Arabic music, this ancient instrument creates a familiar yet haunting ring that fits into the current day.

So bringing us into the 21st century the oud is no longer just an Arabic instrument it comes in many shapes and sizes and is played all around the world in many different musical styles. It’s such a beautiful versatile instrument.