The Turkish Long-Necked Lute Saz or Bağlama Paperback – October 31, 2020

The saz or bağlama, 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 Âlevi and Bektaşi. The saz or bağlama 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 Bağlama, an updated and revised edition of the Dutch book Turkse Langhalsluit of bağlama, mainly focusses on its cultural and historical background while briefly discussing various saz or bağlama types and their construction, tuning, and playing techniques.Table of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgementsGeneral IntroductionChapter-1 Historical BackgroundTanbûr, Saz, BağlamaEarly and Late AntiquityThe Spike LuteThe Necked LuteThe Sâsânian TunbûrThe Umayyad and Abbâsid TanbûrsThe Rum-SeljuksThe Anatolian Long-Necked LutesThe Ottoman EmpireCourt and CityThe Saz in the Work of European Artists and TravellersThe Saz in Anatolian Folk MusicThe Saz in the Âşık, Alevî, and Bektaşî TraditionThe Diffusion of the SazThe Republic of TurkeyThe Saz and the Establishment of a National Musical CultureThe Development of the Contemporary BağlamaTowards a New Generation of BağlamasTrends in Bağlama PerformanceMigration and the Bağlama in Western EuropeThe Bağlama in the 21st CenturyChapter-2 Variation versus StandardizationThe Bağlama FamilyThe CuraThe BağlamaThe TamburaThe Divan SazıThe Meydan SazıVariation versus StandardizationChapter-3 ConstructionThe Choice of WoodThe Drying of WoodConstruction ProcessBowlSoundboardFrets, Bridge, and StringsOrnamentationChapter-4 TuningString TuningFret TuningCountrysideCityChapter-5 Playing TechniquePlaying PositionFinger PositionsPlectrum TechniquesFinger TechniquesExecution MelodyHorizontal TechniquesVertical TechniquesGlossary of Musical Instruments and TermsDiscographyBibliographyIllustration CreditsA Note on TurkishIndex Read more