Oud Instrument and Oud-playing in Musical Theory Books Written by the end of the XVth Century

Being one of the most important instruments of Turkish music, oud has been used in music of different societies and geographies throughout history. This article dwells on the structure, types, tuning characteristics and playing of the oud instrument as explained in musical theory books written by the end of the XVth century. It also discusses modes of playing like the octave exercise --which has been passed onto the present time, approaching old-school oud playing from different perspectives.