Get to know your Baglama Saz fretboard/fingerboard

 The baglama saz is a microtonal instrument.

Western music is based around twelve tones. These twelve tones divide an octave into twelve parts, with the smallest part being a semitone or half step.

Microtonal music has steps in between the half steps. Turkish music divides the octave into eighteen parts. With so many notes to play with, it’s no surprise that Turkish music is so expressive.

The diagram above shows some circled fret numbers at the bottom of the image. These correspond to the frets on your baglama saz. Some frets are wider, and the circled numbers show these. This will make it easier for you to identify the fret number in the absence of western-style guitar fret dots.

You will have noticed on the diagram there are Bb2 and F#3 as well as other strange (to western-style music) sharps and flats. Also, after C on the A string there are C#3 and C#, but on the D and G strings after the C the notes are Db and Db2. Confusingly, you will see the notes written both ways. The subtle difference between a C#3 and a Db will go unnoticed by most Western ears.

I find it useful to have this printed illustration open in front of me when I am learning a new tune. Having it in front of me is easier than trying to remember the order of the notes and microtones.