Rahim AlHaj

Arabic classical music is the art-music tradition of the Arabic-speaking world, built on the modal system of maqam and cyclical rhythmic modes called iqaʿat. It prioritizes ornate melody, nuanced intonation (including microtonal intervals), heterophonic ensemble texture, and a balance between composed forms and improvisation (taqsim). Core forms include the samaʿi (often in 10/8), longa (2/4), dulab (short prelude), muwashshah (strophic song), and the wasla (a multi-movement suite). The aesthetic of tarab—emotional ecstasy and deep musical rapture—guides performance and listening. Typical instruments include the ʿūd (fretless lute), qānūn (plucked zither), nay (end-blown flute), violin/kamanja, riqq (tambourine), and darbuka/tabla, often assembled as a takht (chamber ensemble) or, in later periods, the larger firqa (orchestra).

Oud (al-ʿūd) is a short‑neck, fretless, pear‑shaped lute central to Arabic, Persian and Turkish musical traditions. Typically strung in double courses and plucked with a risha (plectrum), it produces a warm, resonant tone ideal for melodic ornamentation and modal improvisation (taqsīm). The European lute developed directly from the medieval Islamic oud. While sizes and tunings vary by region, common Arabic instruments use 5–6 courses (10–11 strings) and tunings that span the range of a guitar or lute; the lack of frets enables microtonal inflections required by maqām systems across the Middle East.