Mike's Oud Forums

Looking for books

volaya - 11-5-2021 at 03:15 PM

Hi

I am trying to find books related to the oud, but haven't found much. I am not just looking for texts on how to play the oud, but about the instrument itself, its role in arabic music, its history...whatever.

I guess most of them must be in Arabic (which, unfortunately I cannot read or speak), and that's why I cannot find them. But if anyone knows about any publication that might be interesting for an oud player (English, French and Spanish are OK for me), please let me know.

Printed books would be great, but any link to PDFs or similar documents that I can read would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Khalil_Oud - 11-6-2021 at 03:57 AM


Hi,
Here is one book, in French, about the Nahhat ouds and the family, authored by Marc Loopuyt : LE OUD NAHHÂT : LUTH MYTHIQUE DE DAMAS (2018), available (you will like this conference given by Marc Loopuyt where he plays and speaks about the Oud : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87jgeAh7Xxc)

Also some articles by H. Georges Farmer :
- Farmer, H. G. (1932). An Old Moorish Lute Tutor. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 2, 379-389.
- Farmer, H. G. (1939). The Structure of the Arabian and Persian Lute in the Middle Ages. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 71(1), 41-51.

Some thesis dissertations, like this one (it was recommended in this forum before) : The long necked lute's eternal return : mythology, morphology, iconography of the Tanbu?r Lute family from Ancient Mesopotamia to Ottoman Albania : https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/126268/12/PhD%20charest-1.pdf

Also : The Music of the Arabs Book (Habib Hassan Touma), available in french too (la musique arabe), it gives a good portrait of arabic music and all the instruments starting from the pre-islamic time: ''al-jahiliya''...

volaya - 11-7-2021 at 06:58 AM

Many thanks!

I didn't know about Marc Loopuyt, but I have watched the conference video that you linked and a couple of other educational concerts from him, and they are really awesome. I will get the book, for sure.

Thanks again!

Khalil_Oud - 11-8-2021 at 06:34 AM

You are Welcome Volaya !

Khalil

John Erlich - 11-22-2021 at 06:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by volaya  
Hi

I am trying to find books related to the oud, but haven't found much. I am not just looking for texts on how to play the oud, but about the instrument itself, its role in arabic music, its history...whatever.

I guess most of them must be in Arabic (which, unfortunately I cannot read or speak), and that's why I cannot find them. But if anyone knows about any publication that might be interesting for an oud player (English, French and Spanish are OK for me), please let me know.

Printed books would be great, but any link to PDFs or similar documents that I can read would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!


Have you seen this monograph from Jordan, in English? https://cupdf.com/document/the-oud-the-king-of-arabic-instruments.ht...

John Erlich - 11-22-2021 at 06:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by volaya  
Hi

I am trying to find books related to the oud, but haven't found much. I am not just looking for texts on how to play the oud, but about the instrument itself, its role in arabic music, its history...whatever.

I guess most of them must be in Arabic (which, unfortunately I cannot read or speak), and that's why I cannot find them. But if anyone knows about any publication that might be interesting for an oud player (English, French and Spanish are OK for me), please let me know.

Printed books would be great, but any link to PDFs or similar documents that I can read would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!


Also, this US PhD dissertation: http://www.chrysalis-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Abdo...

maraoud108 - 11-22-2021 at 08:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  
[r


Also, this US PhD dissertation: http://www.chrysalis-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Abdo...


He mentions the oud in West Africa. Does anyone know of any West African oud players?

John Erlich - 11-23-2021 at 09:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by maraoud108  
Quote: Originally posted by John Erlich  
[r


Also, this US PhD dissertation: http://www.chrysalis-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Abdo...


He mentions the oud in West Africa. Does anyone know of any West African oud players?


No. I've only heard of East Africans, e.g., Kenyans and Somalis.

volaya - 11-23-2021 at 10:49 PM

I had found the PhD Thesis myself, but not the other one. Thanks a lot!

OudSwede - 2-12-2022 at 01:22 AM

Hi!

Has anyone read this book about ouds and could give a short review?

Ahmed Muhtar (2021). Arabic music and the oud. Lulu publishing.
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/ahmed-mukhtar/arabic-music-and-the-o...

Kind regards,
Viktor