The Turkish Long-Necked Lute Saz or Baglama

The saz or baglama, a generic name for long-necked lutes in Turkey, plays an important role in the Turkish musical culture. It forms the core of all folk musical ensembles and orchestras and is a popular instrument in the arabesque, entertainment, and pop music. It is the instrument par excellence in Turkish music education and in the religious rituals of the Alevi and Bektasi. The saz or baglama can also be heard as a solo instrument on international concert stages. Acknowledging the instrument’s unique place in Turkey, The Turkish Long-Necked Lute Saz or Baglama, an updated and revised edition of the Dutch book Turkse Langhalsluit of baglama, mainly focusses on its cultural and historical background while briefly discussing various saz or baglama types and their construction, tuning, and playing techniques. Table of Contents Preface and Acknowledgements General Introduction Chapter-1 Historical Background Tanbur, Saz, Baglama Early and Late Antiquity The Spike Lute The Necked Lute The Sasanian Tunbur The Umayyad and Abbasid Tanburs The Rum-Seljuks The Anatolian Long-Necked Lutes The Ottoman Empire Court and City The Saz in the Work of European Artists and Travellers The Saz in Anatolian Folk Music The Saz in the Asik, Alevi, and Bektasi Tradition The Diffusion of the Saz The Republic of Turkey The Saz and the Establishment of a National Musical Culture The Development of the Contemporary Baglama Towards a New Generation of Baglamas Trends in Baglama Performance Migration and the Baglama in Western Europe The Baglama in the 21st Century Chapter-2 Variation versus Standardization The Baglama Family The Cura The Baglama The Tambura The Divan Sazi The Meydan Sazi Variation versus Standardization Chapter-3 Construction The Choice of Wood The Drying of Wood Construction Process Bowl Soundboard Frets, Bridge, and Strings Ornamentation Chapter-4 Tuning String Tuning Fret Tuning Countryside City Chapter-5 Playing Technique Playing Position Finger Positions Plectrum Techniques Finger Techniques Execution Melody Horizontal Techniques Vertical Techniques Glossary of Musical Instruments and Terms Discography Bibliography Illustration Credits A Note on Turkish Index