Description: The saz is a member of the chordophone family classified as a long-necked lute. The name "saz" is an ancient Persian name for the word "strings" or "musical instrument" the denotation of the word "saz" is a generic in usage opposed to a particular or specific meaning of the word "saz". In Turkey the word "saz" is used interchangeably as a generic word to describe "musical instrument". Traditionally the music for saz ranged from bardic performances to Makamlar "Turkish Classical Music" and regional folk songs and instrumental pieces. The saz is found throughout Turkey, Kurdistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan and in the Azeri province of North-Western Iran. In the Balkans the Saz the Sargija and in Albania a close cousin called the Chifteli is found.

The Saz Family: In Turkey there are several types of saz the names range from Cura saz being the smallest type of saz a close to the diveni and bac saz (bass saz). The baglama saz is the most common member of the saz family.

The Azeri saz or "Kopuz" (Azerbaijan & Northern Iran): The tanbur-e-khorosan maybe considered a form of "proto-saz" in which parallel to the tanbur, the kopuz or t'cokur both instruments have their origins in ancient Iran. In Azerbaijan the saz is often called "Kopuz" the frets are arranged differently then the baglama saz. When played the Azeri saz does have a different timbre.

Anatomy of the Turkish Saz: The saz is made with a long neck often pine and the body or "Tekne" is either carved (from single tree trunk of the correct and desired size) as is with my saz. The sound board on top of the body is called “göğüs ”. Or the bodies are nowadays staved; this 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. The strings are called "Telier", the bridge is called "Ait Estgik"; the fretting system employed on the saz uses just intonation.