An in-depth instruction manual for the Arabic oud, the ancestor of the lute and guitar. A companion instructional video is included showing key points to playing the oud. Contents include: Holding the Oud, Plucking the Strings, Basic Plucking Rules in Arabic Tradition, Positions of Left-Hand Fingers, Basic Notes on the Oud, Advanced Left-Hand Techniques, Maqamat, and much more. Over 40 tunes are included in the book. Standard notation only. Video download available online.