Turkish cura saz tuner
The cura is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the Turkish bağlama (saz) family. Its most common form has six steel strings in three double courses, called üst (top), orta (middle) and alt (bottom). This page opens on the bağlama curası values of the standardised bağlama family described by Beydüz (1998, İTÜ): in bozuk düzen the bottom course is A4 (440 Hz), the middle D4 (293.66 Hz) and the top G4 (392 Hz), exactly one octave above the bağlama's bozuk tuning.
Open-string notes and frequencies
Cura, bozuk with the bottom course on A: equal-tempered frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz. The level can change with the singer; the live targets follow the selected A reference.
| String / course | Sounding note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| Top (üst) | G4 | 392.00 |
| Top bam (if fitted) | G3 | 196.00 |
| Middle (orta) | D4 | 293.66 |
| Bottom (alt, melody) | A4 | 440.00 |
Beydüz, Y. Z. (1998), Bağlamada Boyut Farklılıklarının İcrada Yarattığı Sorunlar ve Çözümleri, İTÜ
How to use it
- Tap Turn on microphone and pick your level from the tuning menu; if unsure, keep Bozuk · bottom A4.
- Start with the bottom (alt) course, where the melody is played: mute its partner with a finger and pick one string with the plectrum (tezene).
- If the needle sits left, tighten; if it sits right, loosen. Push the wooden peg inwards while turning, and approach the note from below.
- Tune the middle and top courses the same way, then play each course as a pair and listen for the beating to stop. Go round once more.
Help and explanations
Turkish folk tuning is relative: the cura follows the bağlama in the same düzen, at a level (karar) chosen for the singer. The menu therefore also offers the same bozuk pattern with the bottom course on B4, C5 and D5. The microphone measures one note at a time, so check the octave as well as the note name; the classic mistake is tuning a cura at bağlama pitch.
Bozuk düzen, octaves and the bam string
Cura courses are named by position while playing, not by pitch: üst is nearest your face, alt nearest the floor. In bozuk the lowest steel course is the middle one (D4) and the highest is the bottom melody course (A4), a whole tone above the top course and a fifth above the middle.
In the standard bağlama curası the top course pairs a steel G4 with a heavier bam string an octave lower (G3, 196 Hz); many curas use two equal G4 strings instead. Choose the bam or plain profile to match your stringing, and never try to bring the bam up to the steel string's pitch.
B, C and D levels, and the small cura
To play with a bağlama at another level, shift the cura by the same number of semitones. An acoustic study of a six-string cura (Çelik et al., 2023) measured, bottom–middle–top: B = B4–E4–A4, C = C5–F4–B♭4, D = D5–G4–C5. The authors call these the tones most players prefer and note that all three push the strings to their material limits, so check your string set before going higher.
The D level matches what Beydüz calls the tanbura curası, a smaller cura with a 48 cm string length and, in that study, a C4 bam on the top course. Some sources say the cura is also played in bağlama düzeni (La–Re–Mi), but none gives its octaves on the cura, so there is no preset for it; check those notes with the chromatic tuner. Only open strings are covered: the frets include microtonal (koma) intervals that are not equal-tempered.
Tips
- If the display shows A3 (220 Hz), you are at bağlama pitch; the cura target is A4 (440 Hz).
- Tune paired strings one at a time; played together, they make the reading waver and hide a small difference. Then check the pair by ear.
- Wooden pegs slip and new steel strings stretch: recheck several times during the first days.
Frequently asked questions
What notes is a cura tuned to?
The standard bağlama curası in bozuk düzen is bottom A4 (440 Hz), middle D4 (293.66 Hz) and top G4 (392 Hz), with an optional G3 bam on the top course. Players raise the whole tuning to suit the singer.
How much higher than a bağlama is the cura?
The bağlama curası is tuned one octave above the bağlama. The smaller tanbura curası sits a fourth above the bağlama curası, with its bottom course on D5.
Does it work for 2, 4 or 5-string curas?
The presets cover the six-string, three-course cura. Curas exist with two to seven strings, but the sources give no octaves for the other layouts; tune them to your teacher's düzen with the chromatic tuner.
Is the cura the same as the Greek tzouras?
No. The tzouras takes its name from the cura but is tuned like a three-course bouzouki (D–A–D), so this chart does not apply to it.