Turkish Oud

Earlier we discussed that ouds differ according to regions. Today we're going to focus on the Turkish oud.

The Turkish oud has a very close resemblance to the Egyptian oud, but the body of the Turkish oud is more slender and a bit smaller. The instruments themselves are of a very simple elegant touch, with focus on the mixing of wood types and design variations to give it that special touch. The tuning of the Turkish oud with 11 nylon strings (in 6 courses), is two notes higher than the Egyptian oud : E AA BB ee aa d'd'. The musical outcome and playing is similar to the Egyptian oud using a long thin plectrum.

Because Turkish ouds are more or the less of one standard in terms of build, they are used both by beginners and advanced players. Some of the ouds that we carry at Arabinstruments have high grade pickups, meaning that these ouds can be played both acoustically and electrically as options. The ouds we carry all have sound samples as more experienced buyers want to hear the deep or high tones of the instruments they are purchasing.

While the sound hole size is a clue, there are other characteristics that identify the differences. Generally the Turkish ouds have a string length around 22 inches, while Egyptian ouds are around 24 inches. This can vary all over the place. Size is not the only aspect. Turkish ouds are generally simple, with usually 19-21 ribs in the back, and a simple trim around the edge of the face and sound holes. The sound of these ouds also differ due to their size and construction, Turkish ouds are brighter in the high registers, while Egyptian ouds are deeper in the lower end.