Oud Tuning Guide
Tuning the oud (عود) is a weekly skill, not a one-time setup. New strings stretch, friction pegs move with the weather, and different teachers ask for different note layouts. This guide covers how the strings are grouped, common Arabic and Turkish tunings, how to use a clip-on tuner, how to tune by ear, and why the famous “quarter-tones” are not something you tune into the open strings. Tunings vary by school, city, and even by the piece you are about to play. Use your teacher’s layout when you have one.
Courses: what you are actually tuning
Most modern Arabic ouds have eleven strings: five double courses plus a single lowest bass string. A course is a pair of strings that you stop with one left-hand finger and strike together. You tune the two strings of a course to the same pitch (unison). Turkish ouds are often six courses (twelve strings), all doubled, though stringing is not perfectly standardised.
From the player’s view, sitting with the oud, the highest-pitched course is nearest the floor, as on a guitar. The single bass, when present, is nearest your head. People still argue about which course to number as “first”. This article speaks in pitches from low to high, which is harder to mix up than course numbers. If your oud has only ten strings, you simply do not have that extra low note.
Common Arabic tunings
Two widely taught Arabic layouts, low to high, are:
- C–F–A–D–G–C — a common “standard” Arabic tuning in many method books, often with the low C as the single bass.
- D–G–A–D–G–C — a variant you will also meet; the lower courses differ, the upper work can feel similar.
Other layouts exist: some players drop or raise the bass, some use F–A–D–G–C without the extra low string, some shift the whole instrument for a singer. None of these is a law. Adjacent courses are often a fourth apart, with one interval (commonly between the third and fourth courses in C–F–A–D–G–C) organised as a major third. That mix of fourths and a third is why open-string drones and simple fingerings sit well under Arabic phrases.
If a teacher says “tune in C”, they usually mean the high course is C and the rest follow their preferred pattern. Ask them to name every open string from low to high once, and write it on a card in the case.
Turkish tuning: written pitch and sounding pitch
The most common Turkish tuning today, often called Bolahenk, sounds roughly C♯–F♯–B–E–A–D from low to high: the same pattern of fourths as the Arabic layout, but about a whole tone higher. The top four courses (B–E–A–D) are the fixed part; the two lowest courses are sometimes retuned for a particular makam, and an older variant uses E–A in the bass. Turkish sheet music adds a second layer: it is conventionally written a fourth higher than it sounds, so the note names on a Turkish score are not the pitches your tuner shows.
For a beginner this is the practical rule: do not mix an Arabic method’s note names with a Turkish teacher’s “A string” until someone has shown you, on a tuner, what frequency they actually want. If you are studying Turkish repertoire, take that school’s tuning as a whole. If you are studying Arabic maqam (مقام) on an Arabic oud, stay with an Arabic layout until you have a reason to change.
A table of tunings (typical, not exclusive)
| Context | Open strings, low to high (typical) | Notes for beginners |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic, widely taught | C–F–A–D–G–C | Single low C on many 11-string ouds; upper C is the high course |
| Arabic variant | D–G–A–D–G–C | Different bass/mid layout; confirm with your teacher |
| Arabic without extra bass | F–A–D–G–C (example) | Ten-string instruments omit the lowest string |
| Turkish (Bolahenk, common today) | C♯–F♯–B–E–A–D | About a whole tone above Arabic tuning; Turkish sheet music is written a fourth higher than it sounds |
If this table disagrees with the card in your case, the card wins.
Tuning with a clip-on tuner
A clip-on chromatic tuner reads vibration through the wood, which helps when the room is noisy or the air conditioner is on. Clip it on the pegbox, not on the bowl where it may mute the soundboard.
- Stretch new strings gently by pulling them up from the soundboard a little, then retune. They will keep falling for days.
- Tune the two strings of one course together. Mute neighbouring courses so the tuner hears one pitch.
- Get the first string of the pair in tune, then match the second to it by ear if you can. Unison is easier to hear than a tuner’s needle on two strings at once.
- Work from a middle course outward, or from high to low — pick one habit.
- When all open strings are close, play a few fourths (many adjacent courses) and the third where your tuning has one. Adjust the worst offender, then recheck unisons.
Set the tuner to A = 440 Hz unless your ensemble agrees otherwise. Some Arabic ensembles use other reference pitches; follow the room you are in. Do not chase cents on every note in the first month. Stable unisons and a consistent reference matter more.
Tuning by ear: unisons and fourths
Unisons. On a double course, pluck both strings. If you hear a slow wah-wah beat, they are out. Turn the peg of the newer or looser string until the beat slows and disappears.
Fourths. Many neighbouring courses are a fourth apart. Play the lower course open and the next course open. A fourth should sound open and stable, not restless like a slightly wrong major third. You can also stop the lower string at the fourth and match it to the next open course — that is a unison check across courses.
Where the tuning includes a major third between courses, use that as a colour check, not as your only reference. Thirds are easier to “accept” when slightly wrong, which is why fourths and unisons are better anchors. Pegs need small movements. If a peg slips, push it in gently as you turn. If it sticks, ease it out with a twist, never a yank on the pegbox.
Why quarter-tones are played, not tuned
Maqam music uses notes that sit between the piano’s black and white keys — often described as half-flats or “quarter-tones”, though the exact shade is not a rigid quarter of a tone in every region. Those notes are produced with the left hand on the fretless neck. They are not special open strings, and you do not retune a course every time you play Hijaz or Bayati.
Open strings stay at their named pitches (C, D, G, and so on in your chosen layout). When a phrase needs E half-flat or B half-flat, you place a finger at the spot your ear and teacher agree on. Intonation of those steps varies by region and by maqam. A tuner set to equal temperament will not “agree” with a beautiful Sikah (سيكاه) note. That is expected. Use the tuner for open strings; use your ear and a teacher or reference recording for the in-between notes.
New strings stretch
A fresh set can need retuning every few minutes on day one, then several times a session for a week. This is normal. Tune up to pitch; do not tune a long way sharp to “stretch” nylon, which risks the soundboard and the pegs. Heat and dry air move pegs and the soundboard. In a Gulf climate, an oud that was in tune in a humid evening may be sharp or flat in a cold, dry sitting room the next morning. Tune at the start of practice, again after five minutes, and before you record yourself.
Keep a card in the case with your letter names, low to high. When you join other musicians, agree on a reference note before anyone launches into taqsim (تقسيم). A room with qanun (قانون), violin, and oud can otherwise spend ten minutes in polite disagreement.
Next steps
With a stable tuning, posture and risha technique become the next limit on your sound. Learn how to change strings so a breakage does not end the week. Then put those in-tune open strings to work on a first maqam and a modest practice plan rather than retuning for half the session.
Related lessons
Oud practice differs between teachers, schools and regions. Treat this lesson as general guidance, and follow your own teacher where the two disagree. If playing causes pain, stop and get advice from a qualified professional.