HİSTORY OF SAZ İNSTRUMENT

What is saz? Saz is a type of stringed instrument consisting of neck, neck and peg parts, starting from Central Asia and spreading to the Balkan geography. Depending on the region, it is known by different names such as kopuz, cura, çöğür, dombıra and tamburator. It is known as dombra in Central Asia. Today, it has been changed to tambura. Saz types differ according to their sizes. Reed strings, which were made from animal intestines in ancient times, are now made from metal strings. According to the baglama family, they are called small size, medium size and large size. In order to have information about people who want to buy a saz, they seek answers to questions such as what a saz is, what parts it consists of, and what its features are.

What are the types of saz? When the instrument types are listed from largest to smallest, they are listed as square saz, divan saz, çöğür, baglama, boz, âşık saz, tambura, cura baglama, two-string saz and cura. The one with the deepest sound is the square saz, and the one with the thinnest and smallest sound is the cura.

Where and when was saz invented? What is its history? Saz has been used in many civilizations until today. Kopuz is the most mentioned in Dede Korkut stories and was first used in Central Asia. The fact that its body is covered with leather, has no frets and has two or three strings makes the kopuz different from saz. It is an instrument that has been used by Central Asian Turkish bards all the way to Anatolia. Those who want to learn the history of the saz and who used it should first get to know the kopuz. Its history dates back to the 18th century.

What are the parts of the saz? The saz basically consists of three parts: the body (body), the neck and the breast (cover). There are structures called augers placed in three parts of the handle. All parts of the saz are made from trees that are extremely strong and do not change shape over time, and are kept and dried for a few years. Now let's get to know these parts more closely.

Boat(Hull)
It is the name given to the pear-shaped part that is placed on the lap while playing the baglama. Today, the body of the saz is made in two ways: carving and leaf.

Chest(Cover)
It is the part that covers the boat and the strings are struck with a spear. The type of tree used here has a very important place in terms of the sound it will produce. For this reason, this section is created with durable trees. Trees such as red pine, fir and spruce are often preferred.

Handle
It is the wooden part attached to the boat, and sounds suitable for the notes are obtained by pinching the strings at different points.

How is saz manufactured? The process begins by selecting the most suitable tree for the saz and the process continues by creating the rough version of the baglama body. Shaping the outer surface of the boat with an adze, making it flat, continues until the outer surface becomes smooth, and the inner side is carved in the same way. The carved boat is combined with the handle, left to dry, and the prepared chest cover is glued to the mooring body. Now the binding is given its final shape, sanded, polished and thinned. Finally, the frets are tied, the pegs are attached to the stem and the strings are tied, the threshold is added and it is presented to baglama lovers as it is ready.

What are the characteristics of saz? Saz is an instrument that has all the melodies and a very effective sound. It has between 17 and 24 frets. The most important feature of saz is that it is made from trees that do not change shape. It is examined in two ways: short and long stem. It has 7 strings, a body and a handle. As Ase Music, we serve a wide audience, from beginner amateur users to professional musicians, with our wide instrument portfolio. Below are the saz models you may be interested in. You can get information about saz prices by visiting our reeds page regarding our other products.