String — fretless lute
Oud
Also known as: Ud · العود
Region: Pan-Middle Eastern; central in Sorani classical-folk
About the Oud
The oud is the king of Kurdish string instruments — a short-necked, fretless, pear-shaped lute with 11 strings. It anchors classical-folk ensembles, accompanies the great Sorani singers, and carries solo improvisations exploring Kurdish maqamat.
Where it's used
Sorani classical-folk ensemble accompaniment, solo taqasim, singer accompaniment
How to learn
KurdNote has two Kurdish-language tutorial books: Fundamentals of Oud Learning Levels 1 and 2.
Deeper reading
Read the full Oud article →
