A lute is a plucked string instrument with a neck (either fretted or unfretted) and a deep round back, made almost entirely of wood. The oud is a pear-shaped, stringed instrument, which is often seen as the predecessor of the western lute. It is used in a great variety of instrumental music from the early renaissance to late baroque era. The oud can be considered the most important Arabic instrument.
Throughout history, versions of the oud instrument have made their mark in various civilizations from Spain to China. Today, the oud is known as ut or ud in Turkey, laouta in Greece, udi in Africa, and barbat in Iran.
A laouta is a traditional Turkish lute, with a staved body similar to a lute but slightly smaller. It has a long neck with Turkish Classical fretting for pure Pythagorean tuning. The laouta is a fusion between a lute and an oud. Throughout history, versions of the laouta instrument have made their mark in various civilizations from Spain to China.
