Lessons
What Is the Oud?
A clear guide to the oud: origins, anatomy, Arabic, Turkish and Iraqi types, and how it is used in ensembles and solo taqsim.
Read the lesson βChoosing Your First Oud
A practical buyerβs guide to your first oud: Arabic vs Turkish size, action, pegs, cracks, new vs used, online checks, and a simple beginner kit.
Read the lesson βOud Tuning Guide
How oud courses work, common Arabic and Turkish tunings, using a clip-on tuner or your ear, and why quarter-tones are played rather than tuned.
Read the lesson βHolding the Oud and Risha
Posture, risha grip and strokes, left-hand fingering on a fretless neck, common beginner mistakes, and short daily drills for adult learners.
Read the lesson βMaqam Basics for Oud
What a maqam is, how ajnas work, half-flat notes, core beginner maqamat in a table, and a simple way to practise them on the oud.
Read the lesson βFirst 30 Days on the Oud
A realistic 30-day practice plan for adult beginners: weekly goals, 20β30 minute sessions, recording, easing tension, and what to expect by day 30.
Read the lesson βOud Strings and Care
Nylon and wound strings, how to change them, pegs, Gulf humidity and heat, cleaning, travel, and when to see a luthier.
Read the lesson βLearning Oud Online vs With a Teacher
Private lessons, institutes, group classes, videos, live online study and books compared, plus how to choose a teacher and check a course before you pay.
Read the lesson βWhere to start
New to the instrument? Read What is the oud?, then Choosing your first oud and the tuning guide. Already have one? Go straight to the 30-day practice plan.
Beyond the instrument
The oud lives inside a tradition of poetry and song. Our sister site Arabic Verse explains the poems, forms and musical words you will meet along the way. For a full video course, LearnOud.com has taught oud online since 2006.