The bağlama — also saz, sharki, šargija, or bozuk — is a type of plucked stringed instrument widely used in Turkish folk music and Balkan folk music. It is played by striking the strings with a plectrum called a tezene, usually made from cherry-tree bark. The body is carved from a single log and is pear-shaped.
Depending on the technique used, it is played with a plectrum (tezene) or with the fingers. The technique of playing with the fingers is called şelpe and dövme. It usually has a total of 7 strings — at the bottom two steel strings and one silver-wound (silk or copper) bam (octave) string, in the middle two steel strings, and at the top one steel string and one silver-wound bam string — though examples with 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12 strings are also seen. It is played with a tezene.
The types of wood from which the bağlama is made also vary. While spruce is usually preferred for the soundboard, woods such as mulberry, juniper, walnut, and mahogany are usually preferred for the body. The types of wood used and their properties may vary depending on the master craftsman and on regional characteristics.
In fact, the name bağlama is used for the smaller-sized instruments (three-stringed and four-stringed); for the larger instrument with three groups of strings, the names bozuk and tambura have been used.
The bağlama is played in different types and sizes according to its intended use. Today it is generally known by the following types.