Turkish tanbur tuner
The classical Turkish tanbur (mızraplı tanbur) is the long-necked, fretted lute of Ottoman and Turkish art music, played with a plectrum, the mızrap. Counting upwards from the course nearest the floor, it has three pairs and a single thick bass string at the top; 7-string and 8-string instruments are both in use. The melody is played almost entirely on the lowest pair.
Turkish tanbur tuning (Bolahenk)
Classical Turkish tanbur in Bolahenk (yerinden): equal-tempered frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz. The tanbur sounds an octave plus a fourth below the written note; pair 2 is kaba dügâh (E2) or kaba rast (D2) depending on the makam.
| Course | Written (perde) | Sounds in Bolahenk | Frequency (Hz) | Kaba rast setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass string (single, yellow) | Kaba yegâh (low D) | A1 | 55.00 | A1 · 55.00 |
| Pair 3 (steel) | Yegâh (D) | A2 | 110.00 | A2 · 110.00 |
| Pair 2 (yellow) | Kaba dügâh (A) | E2 | 82.41 | Kaba rast (G): D2 · 73.42 |
| Pair 1 (steel, melody) | Yegâh (D) | A2 | 110.00 | A2 · 110.00 |
How to use it
- Tap Turn on microphone and pick pair 2 on E2 (kaba dügâh) or D2 (kaba rast) in the Tuning menu.
- Tune pair 1 (yegâh, A2) first: mute one string, pluck the other open with the mızrap and turn the peg slowly until the needle turns green, then match its partner until the beating stops.
- Tune pair 3 to the same A2 and pair 2 to E2 or D2.
- Tap the bass string button to lock the tuner on A1 and pluck close to the phone. Then check every course again: pegs slip and new strings stretch.
Help and explanations
This tuner uses Bolahenk (yerinden), the concert-pitch level of Turkish music: pair 1, yegâh, A2 (110 Hz); pair 2, kaba dügâh E2 or kaba rast D2 depending on the makam; pair 3, yegâh again on A2; the bass string, kaba yegâh, A1 (55 Hz). Courses are numbered by position, not pitch, so pairs 1 and 3 sound the same and the bass string is the lowest.
Written D, displayed A: why the tanbur sounds so low
Turkish notation is read in Bolahenk, where nevâ, written as D, sounds at the A of a 440 Hz tuning fork, a fourth lower. The tanbur sounds a further octave below, so its written notes sound an octave plus a fourth lower: yegâh, the D just below the treble staff, is A2 = 110 Hz, and the low written D of kaba yegâh is A1.
A chromatic tuner shows the sounding pitch, so A on the yegâh pair is correct. Do not tune pair 1 an octave up, to 220 Hz (A3): that can snap strings and overload the thin soundboard and the long neck.
Pair 2 and the extra string follow the makam
The yellow strings of pair 2 (brass or bronze) go to kaba dügâh (E2, 82.41 Hz) or kaba rast (D2, 73.42 Hz) according to the makam. Both are normal setups; neither is the single standard. Some makams use kaba acem-aşiran, kaba ırak or kaba segâh; set those by ear and with the cents display.
An 8-string tanbur adds one thin (0.40 mm) yellow string between pair 3 and the bass string, usually tuned like pair 2 (E2 or D2), though some makams call for another pitch. It is a single string, not a pair: tune it with the pair 2 button. According to the TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, Necdet Yaşar was the first tanburi to put the eighth string back.
Low strings, phone microphones and movable frets
A1 (55 Hz), D2 and E2 are very low for a phone microphone: hold the phone close, pluck one string firmly and read the steady part of the note. If the bass string shows A2, the tuner has caught its overtone; check the octave by ear against pair 1. A headset or external microphone reads more steadily.
The tanbur's roughly 50 to 60 tied nylon frets (perde) are movable, and makam intervals are not equal-tempered: the tuner sets the open strings, while fret placement belongs to the makam and the school. The cents display shows how far a fretted note sits from equal temperament. For another ahenk, retune every string by the same interval with the chromatic tuner.
Tips
- The bass string sits one octave below pairs 1 and 3.
- Tune each pair one string at a time, then listen to both together for beating.
- For a new makam, start from the yegâh pair, which usually stays put; pair 2 and the extra string move.
Frequently asked questions
How do you tune a Turkish tanbur?
Tune the melody pair (yegâh) to A2 (110 Hz) first, then pair 3 to the same note, pair 2 to E2 or D2 for the makam, and the bass string to A1 (55 Hz).
What are the notes of Turkish tanbur tuning?
In Bolahenk, from the melody pair upwards: yegâh A2, kaba dügâh E2 or kaba rast D2, yegâh A2 and kaba yegâh A1. Turkish notation writes them as D, A (or G), D and low D.
How many strings does a tanbur have?
The classical Turkish tanbur has seven or eight: three pairs and a single bass string, plus, on 8-string instruments, one more single string usually tuned with pair 2.
Why does the tuner show A when the music says D (Re)?
In Bolahenk the tanbur sounds an octave plus a fourth below the written note: the written D of yegâh is really A2, 110 Hz, and the tuner shows the sounding pitch.
Should pair 2 be tuned to E2 or D2?
Both are correct; the makam of the piece and your teacher decide. Only pair 2 changes, plus the extra string on an 8-string tanbur.
Is this the same as Persian or Kurdish tanbur tuning?
No. This page covers only the plucked classical Turkish tanbur. The Persian and Kurdish tanbur, the bowed yaylı tanbur, the Balkan tambura and the tanbura curası are different instruments; this chart was not verified for them. For the cura, see the cura saz tuner.