lute
what it is
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either fretted or unfretted) and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes. The European lute and the modern Near-Eastern oud both descend from a common ancestor via diverging evolutionary paths. The lute is used in a great variety of instrumental music from the early renaissance to the late baroque eras.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make lute a playlist
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questions
What is lute?
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either fretted or unfretted) and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes. The European lute and the modern Near-Eastern oud both descend from a common ancestor via diverging evolutionary paths. The lute is used in a great variety of instrumental music from the early renaissance to the late baroque eras.
What are good lute albums to start with?
Try Songs From The Labyrinth by Sting, Baroque Lute Duets by Edward Martin and Paul Berget, Early Venetian Lute Music by Joan Ambrosio Dalza, and J.S. Bach: Chaconne - Baroque Lute Recital by Toyohiko Satoh.
Who are some women making lute?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/lute/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making lute, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20