Laouto
Long-neck fretted lute of Greece and Cyprus.
The laouto (Greek: λαούτο, plural laouta) is a long-necked, fretted lute found in Greece and Cyprus. It closely resembles the oud in appearance and is played similarly, typically with a long plectrum, though in Cyprus a feather is used instead. The instrument has four courses of double strings. In Albania it is called "llautë" or "llauta," and in Romania "lăuta."
Because it has a longer neck and steel strings, the laouto produces higher string tension and a brighter tone than the short-necked oud. Its frets are movable, allowing musicians to play the dromoi—the modes of Greek traditional music. Unlike the oud, which usually has three sound holes, the laouto typically has one, occasionally two. The soundboard is often made from spruce or cedar, while the body is constructed from harder woods like maple or walnut, a common practice for round-backed lutes. The neck carries 11 removable nylon frets (reminiscent of gut or nylon lute frets), and up to nine fixed wooden frets are mounted on the soundboard. These frets can be placed at intervals finer than a guitar’s to accommodate maqams. Historically, the strings were made of gut, but modern laoutos often use steel or steel-wound nylon strings, similar to those on a bouzouki.
Tuning varies by region. All four courses of double strings are tuned in unison. The intervals between pairs are in fifths: C3C3–G3G3–D4D4–A4A4. This tuning is re-entrant, with G3G3 pitched a fourth lower than C3C3. The mainland Greek version (steriano laouto) is smaller, while the larger Cretan laouto (or lagouto) is tuned G2G2–D3D3–A3A3–E4E4, still re-entrant because D3D3 is a fourth below G2G2. In Cyprus, the Cypriot laouto is tuned C–G–D–A.
The laouto’s primary role in Greek traditional music is accompaniment. It is often played in a duo—one instrument tuned lower than the other—alongside the Cretan lyra or, in Cyprus, the violin. Notable players include Giannis Haroulis, Evagoras Karageorgis, Vasilis Kostas, Thanasis Papakonstantinou, Yiannis Xylouris (also known as Psaroyiannis), Giorgos Xylouris, Christos Zotos, Thor Algren, Maria Ploumi, Giorgos Manolakis, Dimitris Sideris, Nikos Aggrlopoulos, Apostolos Valsamas, and Dimitris Pelitaris.
- Field
- Musical instrument
- Known for
- Long-neck fretted lute of Greece and Cyprus, used in traditional music accompaniment
- Nationality
- Greek and Cypriot
Lore & Background
The laouto has a higher string tension than the oud due to its steel strings and longer neck, giving it a brighter tone. It has movable frets to permit playing the dromoi, or modes of Greek traditional music. The laouto tends to have only one sound hole (sometimes two), whereas the oud family tends to have three. The soundboard is often made of spruce or cedar wood, while the body is usually made of a harder wood such as maple or walnut. The 11 frets of the neck are removable and made of nylon, while up to 9 wooden frets mounted on the soundboard are fixed. The intervals of the frets may be more frequent than that of a guitar to permit playing maqams. The strings were traditionally of gut, although modern laoutos also have steel or steel-wound nylon strings similar to those of the bouzouki.
Reader's Guide
The laouto is significant as a primary accompaniment instrument in Greek traditional music, often played in a duo with the Cretan lyra or with the violin (in Cyprus). Its re-entrant tuning and movable frets allow it to perform the modal scales of Greek and Cypriot folk music. The instrument has two primary contemporary variants: the steriano laouto from mainland Greece and the Cretan laouto (or lagouto), which is larger and tuned differently. The Cypriot laouto is tuned C-G-D-A. Notable players include Giannis Haroulis, Evagoras Karageorgis, Vasilis Kostas, Thanasis Papakonstantinou, Yiannis Xylouris (also known as Psaroyiannis), Giorgos Xylouris, Christos Zotos, Thor Algren, Maria Ploumi, Giorgos Manolakis, Dimitris Sideris, Nikos Aggrlopoulos, Apostolos Valsamas, and Dimitris Pelitaris.
Did You Know?
- The laouto has four double-strings and is played with a long plectrum, or in Cyprus with a feather.
- It has movable nylon frets on the neck and fixed wooden frets on the soundboard, allowing it to play the microtonal modes of Greek music.
- All four courses of the laouto are tuned in unison, not an octave apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a laouto?
The laouto is a long-necked, fretted lute that sits at the heart of Greek and Cypriot traditional music. It is essentially the local counterpart to the Middle Eastern oud, reworked with a longer neck and steel strings to produce a brighter, higher-tension voice.
How does a laouto differ from an oud?
Although the two instruments look very similar, the laouto's longer neck and steel strings create noticeably higher tension and a brighter tone than the short-necked, typically gut-strung oud. It also features movable frets that let players shift between the dromoi modes of Greek traditional music, a flexibility the usually fretless oud lacks.
How is a laouto played?
In Greece, musicians most commonly pluck or strum the strings with a long plectrum. In Cyprus the tradition differs: players use a feather in place of a pick to articulate the notes.
What is the string setup on a laouto?
The instrument carries four courses of double strings, for a total of eight strings arranged in pairs. This pairing is shared with the broader oud family, but the steel material combined with the longer scale length gives the laouto its characteristic bright, ringing quality.
Is the laouto known by other names in neighboring countries?
Yes—Albanian musicians refer to it as "llautë" or "llauta," and in Romania it goes by "lăuta." These regional names show how the instrument spread well beyond Greece and Cyprus into the wider Balkan and Mediterranean world.
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