News

Have you heard about a musical instrument which unites countries? Probably your answer might be no, but there are instruments that unite countries. One such musical instrument is an Oud, which has a history of uniting countries in the Middle East. From the times of civil war in Libya to the killing fields of Iraq and Syria, the environment was quite tense. Amid all that chaos, an Oud served as one instrument which unified people from Algeria to Damascus.

The Oud has a long history and according to some people, it was originated in Central Asia. The ancient Persians played a similar instrument called ‘Barbat’ and the Arabs gave that instrument its current name i.e. Oud. It is an Arabic word, which means wood. A ninth-century Iraqi Jurist named Miwardi once said that an oud could cure illness.  Several other stories relating to an Oud also doing rounds as an intellectual said that it was developed by a descendant of Cain and Abel.

An Oud has a special place in both Arab and Iraqi music culture. The structure and shape of an Oud belonging to Iraq and Arab countries are different from one another. The length and sound of an Oud differ depending on the region where it is used. Turkish Ouds are generally smaller in size while Arabic Ouds are bigger in size and thus offer a deeper tone.

No matter where this beautiful instrument is used it is the music that attracts people from around the world. This is all about the history of an Oud. Now we will discuss finding the right Oud. In order to find the right Oud for yourself, there are two things that matter the most.

Quality

Quality comes at first place when finding the best Oud. It is important for you to know that good quality ouds are hand-made. It means you should go for a hand-made oud rather than going for a machine-made oud.

Face

A good Oud is the one which has its faces made up of spruce and fingerboard from ebony. Not only are the faces of an oud important as it's back panel needs to be made from maple, walnut or mahogany.  Before making your purchase, make sure that the strings of the Oud are closer to the fingerboard. This will make it easier for you to play the instrument.

The thing that confuses most of the music players is how to find the best quality Oud. For this, they no longer need to worry. They need to know that Istanbul is one place on the planet Earth, where you will find the best quality Ouds. Most of the people turn to Istanbul when it comes to buying an oud for them. In case you are running short of money, then it is recommended to find a place in your neighborhood dealing in sales of oud.