Bağlama
The bağlama is a seven-stringed plucked lute. It is the principal instrument for accompanying Turkish folksongs, as well as for religious ceremonies of religious sects. It is also widely used among the Kurdish people in Turkey and Iraq, as well as among various nations in the Balkans.
The bağlama was first documented in European writings in the early 18th century. Since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, the bağlama has become the emblematic Turkish instrument, being frequently used in accompanying the folksongs collected and broadcasted by the Turkish national broadcaster. It is also the primary instrument of singers of traditional epic poetry and tales in the Anatolian heartland. A version with shorter neck is also used in the singing of spiritual songs during the religious ceremonies of the Alevis and Bektashis, a mystical Islamic sect found mainly in Central Anatolia.
The bağlama is traditionally made out of hollowed mulberry or chestnut wood. Its neck nylon frets are movable, in order to produce microtones. It has three courses of metallic strings, traditionally played with a plectrum, while a finger would strike the soundboard for percussive effects. Some contemporary players have developed virtuosic finger strumming techniques, to explore possible common origins with Central Asian lutes such as the dutar and dombyra.
