Bağlama (saz) tuner
Short-neck and long-neck tunings, course by course. Tap Start tuner and play the open strings of one course.
Play a string
Tune with your microphone
We listen through your microphone to hear the pitch. Audio stays on this device: nothing is recorded or sent.
Allow the microphone
Your browser is asking for permission. Choose “Allow” in its prompt and the tuner starts listening.
The microphone is blocked
The browser did not let the tuner hear you. You can allow it again in a few taps, or tune by ear with the reference notes.
Chrome or Edge on a computer
Click the icon to the left of the address bar (a slider or a padlock), switch Microphone to Allow, then reload the page.
Safari on a Mac
Open Safari › Settings for This Website (or Safari › Settings › Websites › Microphone), set this site to Allow, then reload.
iPhone or iPad
Open Settings › Safari › Microphone and choose Ask or Allow. In Chrome for iOS: Settings › Chrome › Microphone. Then come back and tap Try again.
Android
Tap the icon next to the address, open Permissions and allow Microphone. If it is still blocked, open Android Settings › Apps › Chrome › Permissions › Microphone.
Firefox
Click the microphone icon with a slash in the address bar, remove the block for this site, then reload the page.
No microphone found
Plug in a headset or use a phone or laptop with a built-in microphone. Until then, the reference notes let you tune by ear.
Another app is using the microphone
Close the call, recorder or other tab that holds the microphone, then try again.
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All strings in tune. Happy playing!
Reference notes
Tap a note, play the same string and turn the peg until the two sounds stop “beating” against each other.
Bağlama (saz) tuning: notes and frequencies
The bağlama, or saz, has three courses of strings: the alt (bottom), orta (middle) and üst (top) course, each with two or three strings tuned in unison or octaves. Unlike a guitar, the bağlama is tuned in different “düzen” for different repertoire, and short-neck (kısa sap) and long-neck (uzun sap) instruments sit at different pitches. The most common short-neck tuning, bağlama düzeni, gives Re · Sol · La; the long neck is often played in bozuk düzen (also called kara düzen), La · Re · Sol.
| Course | Note | Frequency (Hz) | MIDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top course (üst) | A₃ | 220.00 | 57 |
| Middle course (orta) | G₃ | 196.00 | 55 |
| Bottom course (alt) | D₄ | 293.66 | 62 |
| Course | Note | Frequency (Hz) | MIDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top course (üst) | G₃ | 196.00 | 55 |
| Middle course (orta) | D₃ | 146.83 | 50 |
| Bottom course (alt) | A₃ | 220.00 | 57 |
| Course | Note | Frequency (Hz) | MIDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top course (üst) | E₃ | 164.81 | 52 |
| Middle course (orta) | D₃ | 146.83 | 50 |
| Bottom course (alt) | A₃ | 220.00 | 57 |
Frequencies in equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz. If you calibrate A4, the tuner shifts every target with it.
How to tune a bağlama, string by string
- Choose your neck and düzen above. If you are not sure, a short-neck saz is usually tuned in bağlama düzeni and a long-neck saz in bozuk düzen.
- Tune the orta (middle) course first. It is the reference the other two are tuned against in most düzen.
- Tune the alt (bottom) course. On courses with an octave string, tune the main string with the tuner and the thin one by ear an octave above, or use Chromatic mode.
- Tune the üst (top) course, then play the three open courses together and check the düzen by ear.
Tips for the bağlama
- Pluck one string of the course at a time; strings in unison that are slightly apart make the needle wander.
- Many players tune the whole instrument higher or lower to suit a singer. Set A4 under the gauge or use Chromatic mode and keep the intervals between courses.
- Wooden pegs (burgu) slip if the pegbox is dry. Push gently while turning, and retune after the first few minutes of playing.
- Our pitches follow published sources; teachers and regions differ, so if your teacher tunes differently, follow your teacher and use Chromatic mode.
Other bağlama tunings
Each düzen has its own page with the notes of every course and the tuner preset to it.
If the tuner does not react
- Nothing happens after Start: look for the browser’s permission prompt (top of the screen on a computer, bottom on Android) and choose Allow.
- The note jumps around: play one string at a time, let the others ring out or mute them, and pluck a little harder.
- It shows the right note an octave off: that is the second harmonic. Pluck over the neck rather than at the bridge, and wait half a second.
- Blocked by mistake? The panel that appears tells you how to allow the microphone in your browser.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between bağlama düzeni and bozuk düzen?
They are different intervals between the three courses. Bağlama düzeni (on the short neck Re Sol La) is the usual tuning for folk songs played with a pick; bozuk düzen (La Re Sol) is the traditional long-neck tuning of the âşık tradition.
Do I tune every string of a course?
Yes. Tune one string of the course with the tuner, then match the others by ear until they ring as one, or tune each with the tuner in Chromatic mode.
Is my audio recorded or sent anywhere?
No. The sound from the microphone is analysed in your browser, a few thousandths of a second at a time, and thrown away. Nothing is recorded, stored or uploaded. The microphone switches off when you tap Stop, when you leave the page and after two minutes of silence.