There are two basic categories of ouds, Turkish and

Arabic. Of course there are variations of each, which

not only change from country to country, but from one
oud maker to another. On this site we will focus more
on Ottoman music and the Turkish oud, but I will list
some common Arabic tunings as well. Stringing tips are
found at the bottom of the page.
Turkish style ouds:
Usually the body is smaller, more shallow, and
not as long as a typical Arabic oud. These ouds
are used most in Turkish, Armenian, and Greek
music. The luthier most often credited with the
modification of the Arabic oud to the Turkish style
we know today was Manolis Venios, a Greek
luthier living in Constantinople (Istanbul) at the
turn of the 20th century.
Eleven strings are common, in five pairs with
one single 'drone string' or 'bam teli.' In the past
they commonly had only ten strings in pairs of
five. Some common tunings from lowest string to
highest string:
E A B e a d (capital letter = lower/bass note)
C# F# B e a d
B F# B e a d
D A B e a d
D G B e a d
The highest four pair of strings are usually
tuned B E A D, while the two lowest courses (the
'drone strings') are tuned according the makam
and/or key you are playing in, the nature of the
piece you are playing, and/or your personal
preference. If you decide to experiment with
different tunings always make sure you are not
putting too much tension on the neck and
face. Check with an oud maker/luthier whenever
you are not sure.
Arabic style ouds:
There are several types of Arabic ouds, usually
country-specific. Generally they are larger than
Turkish style ouds and tuned a whole step
lower. Many Arabic ouds also continue to have
only five pairs of strings. The major categories are
the Syrian, Egyptian, and Iraqi ouds, though there
are others that are not listed here or closely
resemble other types (such as Moroccan,
Lebanese, etc.) Please realize that these
categories are made everywhere, and are used for
a general understanding of an oud 'style.'
The Syrian oud often has eleven strings and
some common tunings are:
C F A d g c
D G A d g c
C E A d g c
F A d g c f (usually all double courses with this
tuning - 12 strings)
Egyptian ouds usually differ most from Syrian
ouds not in tuning, but in their general
tone. Often though you will find Egyptian players
using only five pairs of strings, in effect removing
the lowest 'drone string' from the first three
tunings above:
F A d g c
G A d g c
E A d g c
When the Egyptian oud is used with six
courses, it can bes as seen above in the Syrian
oud tunings.
Iraqi style ouds are often called 'Bachir' ouds
because they are rightly attributed to the famous
brothers Jameel and Munir Bachir, who were huge
forces in creating a new school of oud playing and
oud making. These are completey different in that
they have floating bridges and the strings attach
at the base of the oud, not on the bridge. They
often have seven or eight courses (13-15
individual strings). Also, the length of these ouds
is usually closer to the Turkish design, though in
other respects they do not really resemble Turkish
ouds.
Some tunings:
C D g c f F (note the bass F 'drone string' under
the most treble string pair)
F C D g c f
String to peg for Turkish
oud
String to peg for Arabic
oud

Turkish string to peg
diagram
#1 corresponds to the
string in the pair that is
furthest to the right on
the bridge with the oud
facing you (or closest to
the floor as you
play). #2 corresponds
to the string in each pair
that is furthest to the
left of the bridge (or
closest to you while

Arabic string to peg
diagram
#1 corresponds to the
string in the pair that is
furthest to the right on
the bridge with the oud
facing you (or closest to
the floor as you
play). #2 corresponds
to the string in each pair
that is furthest to the
left of the bridge (or
playing).
Get in touch if this
doesn't make sense.
You should always wind
the peg 'up' towards the
end of the pegbox when
tightening, and 'down'
towards the oud's body
when loosening.
How to best string your
instrument when you
need to change the
strings:
~ Note, it is usually best
to change all the strings
together, to ensure an
even tone quality across
the whole instrument.
THE STRINGING ORDER
AT THE BRIDGE
For a typical Turkish
tuning:
closest to you while
playing).
Get in touch if this
doesn't make sense.
You should always wind
the peg 'up' towards the
end of the pegbox when
tightening, and 'down'
towards the oud's body
when loosening.
How to best string your
instrument when you
need to change the
strings:
~ Note, it is usually best
to change all the strings
together, to ensure an
even tone quality across
the whole instrument.
THE STRINGING ORDER
AT THE BRIDGE
For a typical Arabic
tuning:

It is recommended that
you string your oud with
this order at the bridge,
to help prevent your
strings from getting
tangled in the pegbox.
**Suggested stringing
order at the bridge
taken from the Oud
Method by Kyriakos
Kalaitzidis, with some
slight modifications by
me.

It is recommended that
you string your oud with
this order at the bridge,
to help prevent your
strings from getting
tangled in the pegbox.
**Suggested stringing
order at the bridge
taken from the Oud
Method by Kyriakos
Kalaitzidis, with some
slight modifications by
me.

Copyright Mavrothi T. Kontanis. All rights
reserved 2008
http://www.oudcafe.com/stringing_and_tuning.htm