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Primary sourceArtifact10th century

Lute Diagram with Seven Courses

Farabi · 10th century

A drawing by al-Farabi showing a seven-course lute (oud) with fourteen strings, illustrating his music theory with a real instrument.

This lute diagram is al-Farabi's own drawing, showing how he based his acoustic theory on a real instrument.

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Manuscript page with an Arabic-script diagram of a lute (oud) drawn in ink on aged, yellowed paper. The pear-shaped body, long neck with frets, and strings are drawn, with Arabic text in columns around it and labels beside the instrument.
Al-Farabi, drawing of a seven-course lute, 10th century.

About this source

What it is

This is a manuscript diagram drawn by al-Farabi showing a lute (oud) with seven courses of strings, totalling fourteen strings arranged in rows. It is part of the tradition surrounding his writings on music.

Why it matters

The drawing shows that al-Farabi did not only write about music in the abstract; he grounded his theories in the structure of a real instrument, including its frets and strings. This connects his philosophical interest in acoustics and harmony to the practical craft of instrument-making in his time.

Look closer

  • What details of the instrument has the artist chosen to label or highlight?
  • Why might a philosopher draw such a precise technical diagram?
  • What does this tell you about how music theory and instrument design were connected in al-Farabi's world?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Al-Farabi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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