John...the sorts of music that you mention work do lend themselves to being played on the oud, and can be used to create oud music. My point, without writing a freaking essay, is that the Oud has a very highly evolved technique, including ornaments, ways of developing ideas, and even scales and pitches--a methodology. And the instrument has evolved to facilitate that stuff. That's what I'm talking about.

And "Not to fret"? Ouch...