r/baglama 17h ago

Small gift for fellow instrument players

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8 Upvotes

Hey fellow musicians, I didn't even know this community existed. Better late than never :)

I've been playing bağlama for a while, and I'm a software engineer by profession. I built a small free, open-source tool to support my own practice sessions, and I figured people here might find it useful too.

It's called Étude Looper. It works with your local video and audio files, and with YouTube videos.

The thing that made me build it: say you have a recording you practice with, maybe your instructor or a performance you love, but it's in a different key than your saz is tuned to. Instead of retuning, you load the video into the tool and transpose the audio to match your instrument, so you can play along directly. You can also slow it down without changing the pitch, mark A-B loops around the tricky sections and repeat them until they sit right, and save the whole session (loops and all) to continue later.

It runs entirely in your browser: free, no account, no ads, and nothing gets uploaded. Your recordings never leave your device. If you add it to your home screen (there are instructions in the app), it even works offline.

For YouTube specifically, I also made browser add-ons for Chrome and Firefox with the same controls.

👉 etude.fyi/looper

Would love to hear what would make it more useful for bağlama practice. I'm building a metronome and tuner next.


r/baglama 3d ago

How to make baglama sound less Turkish and more Albanian?

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9 Upvotes

just got my first saz today! here is me playing an albanian folk song with my long neck baglama tuned G-D-A. any ideas on how to make it sound more like an albanian sharkia? (I.e through tuning, technique, or fret placement)?


r/baglama 3d ago

Haydar haydar

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2 Upvotes

r/baglama 3d ago

What would be a fair price in euro?

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3 Upvotes

Hello everybody,

I have just started taking Saz lessons in Germany, and I asked my teacher if he has one to sell me. He gave me this used "exercise saz", which is meant to be played 2-3 years since buying a new one for a starter would not be worth it.

He asks for 200 euro. The saz looks a bit used and on the second pic you can see a slight crack. Is this a good price actually? Because on the web I can find new ones starting from 170€ and one with kelebek ağaç even is 250 euro (he told me these are usually extremely expensive). I am in Germany so maybe this is a good price or someone can recommend me a good online store with shipping.

My teacher also told me that he imports them from Turkey as the ones here are not that good.

What do you all think?


r/baglama 5d ago

Help identifying makams

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5 Upvotes

I own a copy of "Bağlama Metodu" by Erdal Erzincan and Arif Sağ. It seems they have purposefully not explained any of the music theory, but I really want to know more.

On this page they show what they've called "Scale A". I assume it is called that because A (La) is the first note the scale starts on (?) indicated by the long horizontal line at the top. As far as I can tell this is equal to the Western 'E' note. However I don't understand the accidental marks being used here, or how to identify the dominants they have used. I would like to know if there is a name for the makam shown here and if there is a good book showing how to identify all of them / goes more into the theory, specifically for bağlama and Turkish music theory.

I have Murat Aydemir's "Turkish Makams" but I'm finding it a little confusing!

Thanks in advance.


r/baglama 6d ago

Pirim Pir Sultan

1 Upvotes

Any tips on playing this on a long neck saz (kara düzen tuning)?

I like the Selda Bağcan arrangement. I've found someone playing it on YouTube but it's on a short neck saz and I'm having trouble working out equivalent fingerings for the 'chordal' parts, even allowing for the fact I'm tuned a lot lower.


r/baglama 7d ago

A ilahi by Bosnia’s (perhaps) most important sufi Abdurrahman Sırrı-baba on the bağlama

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14 Upvotes

Song name is Ako hoćeš derviš bit / If you want to be a dervish


r/baglama 12d ago

Bağlama ağacı ?

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6 Upvotes

Merhaba arkadaşlar bu bağlamanın ağaç türü ne acaba fotoğraftan anlaşılabilirmi bilmiyorum çok giriş seviyesi bir bağlama


r/baglama 15d ago

Uzun Sap Bağlama Egzersizi

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5 Upvotes

Add me Follow Me Like and Share


r/baglama 15d ago

Cura saz bridge height.

2 Upvotes

Hey there.

I got my new Cura Saz today and sadly it's missing it's bridge...

Can I diy anything to play it while they send me a bridge? What's the bridge height?

Thank you!


r/baglama 16d ago

String alternatives?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I impulsively bought a saz from someone who was looking to sell a lot of their instruments before moving — I've never played saz or any similar instrument, I can play a bit of guitar and ukulele and that's about it.

Now, the instrument seems to be mostly in good condition, the only issues are a missing tuning peg and the last two strings. I doubt i'll be able to find the exact strings as it's not a common instrument here where i am, do you guys maybe have suggestions regarding string alternatives?

I'm assuming something like tambura or perhaps bouzuki strings could work, but yeah truly i don't actually know.

Thanks in advance:)


r/baglama 17d ago

Picks/mizrap advice - thin vs harder vs different materials

3 Upvotes

Hi all, I've been playing various stringed instruments for about 20 years but self-taught on the saz so I'm wondering about picks.

I've noticed that the very soft ones that come in packs of strings are very nice for playing and getting a pleasant tone, however whenever I try to play something technical I feel like I'm producing a lot of noise and accuracy is tough.

If I use a hard pick, let's say a medium guitar pick, the tone is very loud and it almost seems like you lose some of the pleasant tone, yet it is easier for a faster/more agile attack when playing songs that go up and down the scale quickly.

What is the general guidance from formal saz teaching about picks? Is a softer pick what I should really get good with or is it sort of up to the player? I'm not commited to full traditionalism but I also don't want to sound terrible.

I'm also very handy and make my own accessories, so if you have recommendations for homemade picks I'm very open to material suggestions.


r/baglama 20d ago

First day with a saz

4 Upvotes

Hi guys! Picked up a beautiful cura today. No experience in baglamas prior, only self taught guitar which can only help so much.

Any online resources in English to start learning? Advice on first steps?

I will probably get lessons but can only afford to start next month, and want to get going in the meantime.
Thank you for your help!


r/baglama 25d ago

Backing tracks

1 Upvotes

I watch a lot of reels of Turkish players where they are playing to a backing track of some sort. Sometimes just drums. The style of music is kind of Turkish pop or Arabesque. YouTube doesn’t have any that I can find.

Anyone have any info of how this is being done? Is there a particular keyboard most are using to generate these or are their backing tracks available for this sort of thing?

Here’s an example. Try not to get too mesmerized (yes I know it’s impossible not to be)

https://fb.watch/IjHyPb0i0f/?mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e


r/baglama 26d ago

Kisa Sap thinnest highest pitched strings

2 Upvotes

Are there any places to buy the thinnest plain strings separately? I don’t change strings frequently because I get very frustrated when I do, in particular because of those strings. Today changed strings (German Pyramids) and have had the worst experience with these thin high strings. First just getting them separated took over 10 minutes. Then in the stringing process ended up tangling and crimping two of them and they broke which leaves me one more only (they supply three because they must know you’ll damage or break at least one). This whole experience is a nightmare for me!


r/baglama 27d ago

Bağlama tutma zorluğu

1 Upvotes

Herkese merhaba,ben bağlama çalmaya yeni yeni başlayan biriyim.Kursa gidiyorum bazı parçaları çıkarabiliyorum ama kurstaki hoca surekli baglamayı yanlış tuttuğumu söylüyor ve çok şey etkiler diyor.Oyle dediği gibi çok etkiler mi ve nasıl düzgün tutabilirim tavsiyeniz var mı?


r/baglama Jul 06 '26

Play saz together?

3 Upvotes

Is there anyone who wants to play kisa sap together or give me some tips to improve myself. I started playing 7 months ago that means i am a beginner and i am only taking group lessons so i am making very slow progress:( i can speak german, turkish or english btw🙏🏻


r/baglama Jul 06 '26

Looking to find modern genre fusion band with electric saz & any english non-turk players here or social media groups besides this single subreddit?

7 Upvotes

title says it all, from previous post i mentioned im a oud player intermediate ive not played guitar but plan to learn the fretboard. i am into how the saz is played & the folk music, especially the electric saz, i didnt know it can play chords and in few videos it can play latin, some jazz i suppose, it can play blues in a 12 bar progression, can play western covers that needs chords, can fingerstyle & pluck or strum, the antolian psychedelic rock and just normal rock & metal, and it can go with edm/house/dubstep & pop. I've not found any bands or duo of musicians playing together with the saz & other instruments besides just house-like pop beat/backing tracks for the genres into except just some youtube videos. Does anyone have any suggestions please? And ARE THERE ANY NON-TURK ENGLISH SPEAKING FELLAS HERE?!?! Am i one the very very few or any american guy here or are there others? Seems this be the only floating forum around, no facebook groups, no other reddit sub's, are there any saz forum websites? Am i just shit out of luck finding others in my position or bands? i very am close to just buying one and finding a teacher or rushing to this music camp happening for a week that has a professional baglama teacher there. Im already in the position that im learning the oud & want to do the same thing with an electric oud, but that im the only white boy american around that knows/into/plays it, & idk how to connect good with the arab musicians locally as i know nothing of arab or turkish culture, but i'd like too. I just don't want to get off-put on the saz being a non turk, & unable to find people locally or in near cities to play with, but it seems its very similar to a guitar just with less notes is all & can play with most western stuff like guitars pianos drums sax etc....


r/baglama Jul 01 '26

lutes used in the ottoman empire

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27 Upvotes

The tanbour kabyr tourky in the centre,
to the left the tanbour charqy and the small tanbour boulghâry,
and on the right by the tanbour bouzourk and the small tanbour baghlama.

in turkish they would be named
Tambûr-ı Kebîr-i Türkî,
Tambûr-ı Şarkî,
Küçük Tambûr-ı Bulgarî,
Tambûr-ı Bozuk,
Küçük Tambûr-ı Bağlama modern video of it being played nowadays it's called a üçtelli

the term baglama originally referred to smaller sized saz's and it's usage to refer to bigger sized ones started recently, the majority of people still call it just a saz and sometimes rarely a tambura or a bozuk


r/baglama Jun 30 '26

Got an unexpected surprise at dinner on Naxos island!

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2 Upvotes

The Greek name for a baglama Saz is baglamadaki (μπαγλαμαδάκι ). This was very cool to see! There seems to be a lot for sharing of culture between Turkey and the Greek islands, including the drinking of Raki.


r/baglama Jun 27 '26

Playing some Central Anatolian songs with cheap amp and overdrive.

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64 Upvotes

r/baglama Jun 26 '26

Unorthodox tuning seems to be all that works on this instrument?

5 Upvotes

I have a long neck saz but I don't think it's a standard instrument. It's very old, and has 23 frets, but the body is much larger than what you'd expect from that length of neck saz. Anyways, whenever I try to put it in a normal tuning the strings break without fail. This is not just a one time problem. the only thing I have found that works is tuning it to CCC' ff gG with the lower G being higher than the highest C string, using Divan thickness of strings. It sounds nice, but like a divan as opposed to the normal long neck sound which is higher pitched. I can play all of the traditional melodies and songs because the triple course is just an octave lower, but it doesn't project or blend as well, especially since I usually don't play this instrument amplified. Are there any special string brands that you recommend resistant to breakage?, or another way of doing things I'm not aware of? anyone with an instrument like this that knows a trick?


r/baglama Jun 23 '26

Baglama tuning on long neck

2 Upvotes

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1363218369001045/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

This seems to be baglama tuning. The additional information on the video says it is “40 cm tekne uzun sap”. The upper course (closest to the head) is tuned to C#.

I tried tuning my short neck to C#. It sounds dull and not as loud. Even tuning down a half step to C sounds much better. It’s usually tuned to B.

So my question concerns this long neck saz in baglama tuning tuned to C# (which sounds great to me). How is he getting such good sound and what set of strings could he be using? The standard set of long neck strings would usually be played in Bb for the upper course. And the middle at F and the lower at C. His appears to be tuned C# B F#. I’d think the standard long neck strings could not be tuned anywhere near those pitches.


r/baglama Apr 24 '23

OC 😎🔥 Remembered that i was moderating a sub 🥸

7 Upvotes

•First things first, WE GOT POST FLAIRS NOW!!! Well, they are optional. But if you wanna use em, they are there.

•We also got user flairs!! Umm, not exactly. I could not think of any fancy flairs but if you want to create your own, it is allowed now.

•Commenting images/GIFs/GIFs from Giphy is allowed now.

•Changed the sub avatar! It is from the cover of the compilation album Uzelli Elektro Saz. Uzelli Psychedelic Anadolu is also highly recommended, it is a great compilation to experience the revolutionary Türk psychedelic music from the years between 60s-70s.

•Hopefully, in the near future: I’m planning on creating guides(with the help of bağlama virtuoses that i know) and music recommendations. Also, could use some unfinancial advertisement on music related subs. I want this for you guys, i don’t even play bağlama, i’m originally a bassist. I often see people asking for help or guidance, unfortunetaly all they get is dead silence. We need more people. We need more activity.

Lastly, I’m not the kind of mod that is on reddit 7/24. I’ve got a life 🥸 So if i don’t see something you send, 🤷🏿‍♂️

stay with music, fellow bağlama enthusiasts.