How to Tune a Short Neck Baglama: Complete Tuning Guide
Understanding the Short-Neck Baglama
The short-neck baglama (kisa sap) is the more compact member of the saz family. With its shorter string length it sits higher and brighter than the long-neck baglama, and its tighter spacing makes it a favourite for fast, agile playing and for players who want a more portable instrument.
Like the long-neck saz, the short-neck baglama has three courses (groups of strings), usually six or seven strings in total. The two or three strings within each course are tuned to the same pitch and played as one voice.
The Most Common Short-Neck Tuning: B–A–E
By far the most widely used tuning on the short-neck baglama is B–A–E, course by course:
- Lower course (thick strings): Si (B)
- Middle course: La (A)
- Upper course (thin strings): Mi (E)
This is the tuning most short-neck players learn first and return to, and it is the one demonstrated in the video below. If you are just starting out, this is where to begin.
How to Tune a Short-Neck Baglama, Step by Step
Always tune upward to the target note — let the string sit slightly below pitch, then raise it. This keeps the tuning stable and is gentler on the strings.
- Lower course — Si (B). Use a tuner, a piano, or a reference tone, and bring the course up to B.
- Middle course — La (A). Tune up to A.
- Upper course — Mi (E). Tune up to E.
Because each course is a group of strings tuned to the same pitch, match the strings within a course to each other exactly. Listen for the “beating” — the wavering pulse between two slightly different pitches — to disappear. When it is gone, the course is in unison.
Tips for Tuning Stability
- New strings stretch. A fresh set will need retuning several times over the first days until it settles.
- Tune up, not down, to land on each note.
- Mind the room. Temperature and humidity move the pitch — an instrument brought in from the cold will drift as it warms.
- Check within the course first. A course that sounds slightly “off” is usually two strings just out of unison with each other, not the whole instrument out of tune.
Short-Neck vs. Long-Neck Baglama
The two instruments are close relatives but tuned differently. The short-neck baglama is tuned higher and brighter (commonly B–A–E), while the long-neck saz sits lower and offers a wider range of traditional tuning systems (duzen). If you play, or are shopping for, a long-neck instrument, see our companion guide: How to Tune a Long Neck Baglama.
Find a Short-Neck Baglama That Is Ready to Play
Every baglama in the Tapadum collection is set up, strung, and tuned in our workshop before it ships, so it arrives ready to play in your hands. If you would like help choosing between a short-neck and a long-neck saz — or matching one to the music you want to make — our team builds and plays these instruments every day and is glad to help.
Browse our baglama & saz collection, find string sets, a gig bag, and a stand in our saz & baglama accessories, or explore lessons with our teachers at the Tapadum Music Academy.
Final Notes
Tuning is the first conversation you have with your saz each time you pick it up. Learn the B–A–E tuning, train your ear to the three courses, and the instrument will quickly start to feel like an extension of your hand. When you are ready to go deeper into technique and repertoire, our Music Academy is here.