Lute Strings

A lute is a plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, often featuring a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be fretted or unfretted. Both the European lute and the modern Near-Eastern oud trace their roots back to a common ancestor before evolving along divergent paths. Throughout history, the lute has been used for a diverse array of instrumental music, spanning from the Medieval to the late Baroque eras. It held particular significance in secular music during the Renaissance.

During the Baroque period, the lute served as one of the instruments providing basso continuo accompaniment parts. Additionally, it frequently accompanied vocal works. Lute players may improvise chordal accompaniments based on figured bass parts or perform written-out accompaniments using music notation and tablature ("tab"). Despite its relatively small size, the lute produces a subdued sound.

A lute player is referred to as a lutenist, lutanist, or lutist, while a craftsman specializing in lutes and similar string instruments, including those of the violin and guitar families, is known as a luthier.