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The Oud: Instrument of the Ages
Story and Photography by Leyla Sharabi
Considered "the king of instruments" by many in the Arab world, the oud is the oldest and most central instrument in the Middle Eastern music tradition. Played to the accompaniment of poetry in Arabia as early as the 3rd century AD, the oud is said by some to be the ancestor of the Pharaohnic Egyptian Nefer, and by others, of the ancient Persian barbat. Regardless of its precise origins, the oud is well known as the forebear of the European lute, which emerged after the introduction of the oud to Andalusian Spain.
Legend has it that Arabs of yore believed the particular resonance of the oud lay in its wood, which had absorbed the sound of the birds that perched upon it as a tree. The variables in the construction of the oud, including types of wood, contribute to the general sound of the instrument. The lighter ouds of Turkey, for example, possess a brighter pitch than the heavier ouds of Egypt and Syria. Subtler acoustic elements of a given oud, however, are generally unplanned, not unlike the ouds of legend.
The oud's sound resonates within its hollow body, which is composed of a rounded back and a soundboard enclosing it. The back is made of fifteen to twenty-five strips of wood, usually ebony, rosewood, walnut, maple or a combination thereof. The soundboard, the flat sheet of wood that covers the open side of the back, is characterized by a main circular opening called the rosette, and in most ouds, two smaller rosettes beneath it. Towards the base of the soundboard is the bridge (al-ghazal), a narrow piece of wood where the instrument's strings are attached. Seven to nine beams span the soundboard's width to provide support from below.
The craftsmanship involved in making string instruments of the Western tradition has received a great deal of attention. The various parts of the violin for example, have been studied and tested for their acoustic potential. The sound quality of a particular violin can be explained with reference to specific aspects of its construction. In the case of the oud, however, one would cite types of wood or general craftsmanship to explain the instrument's quality. The specific elements of an excellent oud have not been comprehensively explored nor scientifically investigated. They are, consciously or unconsciously, the trade secrets of particular oud makers.
The oud maker's intention in crafting the oud is to achieve maximum resonance. The soundboard is a particularly delicate component of the instrument due to its location between the strings and the back. New York City based musician and oud maker Najib Shaheen has taken steps to increase the sound quality and projection of the oud through subtle modifications of the soundboard's habitual structure.
In keeping with most oud makers, Shaheen uses different kinds of wood for the beams and the soundboard. In the instance of Shaheen's ouds, the combination of the warmth of spruce and the crispness of cedar interact to produce a higher quality tone. Shaheen departs from the norm, however, in his efforts to lighten the soundboard and beams while maintaining the durability and strength of the instrument.
The sound generated at the strings of the oud passes through the rosettes and is reflected or absorbed by the wood enclosing it. Reflected sound then reverberates back through the soundboard. One of Shaheen's modifications to maximize this reverberation is his minimization of the beams and soundboard. Shaheen whittles the beams, to varying degrees, from their original size. Similarly, he thins areas of wood on the underside of the soundboard.
Shaheen reduces sound absorption of wood against wood. Ordinarily each end of every beam is glued to either side of the inner rim of the back. Shaheen also creates the possibility of more sound travel by placing a supportive beam in the area of the soundboard just opposite and above the bridge rather than below it.
Since its emergence in early civilization, the oud's unique tone has established itself in traditional musical forms throughout the Arab world and North Africa. Its sound has also made its place within the context of other musical compositions, from the classical forms of Mohamed Abdel Wahab's music to the musical innovations and cultural amalgums of contemporary forms. Developments in the structure and existing elements of craftsmanship of the oud will perhaps remain the purview of oud makers for years to come. Notwithstanding, the oud cannot but maintain its very viable place in the family of instruments. |
