Description: The name "saz" is ancient Persian name for the word "strings" or "musical instrument" the words denotation is a generic in usage opposed to a particular or specific meaning of the word "saz". The saz is classified as a long-necked lute in which traditionally in Turkey was used to play Maqamlar or Maqamat, along with bardic songs, in the Caucasus, in particular Azerbaijan the saz is used in bardic traditions, usually a singer (the bard). And to whom plays the saz. The saz when used in bardic traditions is often accompanied by other saz players, or percussion instruments ETC.

The saz is believed to be originally a very ancient instrument. In which it’s believed that the saz came from the “Tanbur-E-Khorosan”. This type of ancient-proto-saz; in which maybe a form of tanbur from this region in Persia (Iran). The instrument has remained very popular in the Caucasus (in Armenia and Azerbaijan the saz is called T’chokur) region for a very long time. In turkey the instrument goes by several sizes (cura saz; being the type I have), baglama saz (in this case of the Turkish saz this is the standard and most common size).

Anatomy of the Saz: The saz is made with a long neck often pine and the body is either carved (from single tree trunk of the correct and desired size) as is with my cura saz. Or the bodies are nowadays staved, in which is becoming a very common practice in saz making. The frets are tied on and are of nylon fishing wire or nylon wire of a thin gauge, this is so the frets can be moved around desired scale for desired tuning and so on.

Types of saz: In Turkish music one finds the following types of saz

Azeri saz (Azerbaijan & Northern Iran): This type of saz may have been from the t'chokur or kopuz lutes. However is played in Azerbaijan and in Tibriz a small town and geographic region on the Iranian side of the border. Also played occasionally in Georgia and Armenia.

Citfelli saz (Turkey): A very small saz, perhaps the smallest of the saz family half the size of the cura saz.

Cura Saz (Turkey): This is the saz to which I own and play. The cura-saz is slightly smaller in size and over all length to the baglama.

Baglama-saz (Turkey): This is the standard size of saz, and most commonly played through out Turkey. The Turkish Baglama-saz employs a fretting system of tied frets (mostly of nylon-thread) nowadays in which the frets can be moved around for achieving particular scales usually in quartertones and or microtones depending on the music played

Saz (Boznia & Herzegovina): This type of saz is found in the former Yugoslavian republic of Boznia and Herzegovina. Still played today.

Baglama-Saz Tunings

Standard		D-A-D
		G-A-D
Baglama	La-Sol-Re	A-G-D
Misket düzeni	Fa#-Re-La	F#-D-A
Fa müstezat düzeni	Fa-Re-La	F-D-A
Abdal düzeni	La-La-Sol	A-A-G
Zurna düzeni	Re-Re-La	D-D-A
Do müstezat düzeni	Sol-Do-La	G-C-A
Azeri Saz Tuning		D3"-G2-C3"
Bosnian Saz Tuning		F3-c'-g'-G3"

 

Citations: Wikipedia article, baglama-saz; New grove dictionary of music; New Grove Dictionary of Music, page 320 book 3 by Stanley Saidie P to Z, ISBN number 0-943818-05-2