Oud
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The oud is a Middle Eastern short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped, fretless stringed instrument, usually with 11 strings grouped in six courses, but some models have five or seven courses, with 10 or 13 strings respectively.
Egyptian lute players with long-necked lutes. Fresco from the tomb of Nebamun, a nobleman in the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (c. 1350 BC)
Hellenistic banquet scene from the 1st century AD, Hadda, Gandhara. Short-necked, 2-string lute held by player, far right
Iran, 11th or 12th century A.D. Earthenware statue of a musician playing a short-necked, lute-style instrument
A variety of methods are used to tune different stringed instruments. Most change the pitch produced when the string is played by adjusting the tension of the strings.
Medieval bone tuning pin. One end is pierced for the string; the other is squared off to fit in a tuning lever socket. The middle section, which would pass through the wood, is tapered.
Tuning pegs on a tro
The single tuning peg of a tromba marina, turned by hand