Baglama (Greek)

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Visually, the little Greek Baglama, a stringed musical instrument with a pear-shaped body and long neck, resembles a scaled down version of the bouzouki with its ornate inlaid face and ribbed bowl back. Like its big brother the baglama is tuned modally to D-A-D, but pitched an octave higher. The stringing arrangement features unison pairs on the 4 highest strings and an octave pair on the lower D. Musically, the baglama is most often found in the Pireas style of Rembetika, where it takes on the accompaniment role of supporting the bouzouki.

Physically it differs is in the construction of the body, which is generally made from a hollowed out piece of wood or gourd. The neck and head used to be made from one piece of wood, but today tend to be constructed separately. Its small size made it particularly popular with musicians who needed an instrument transportable enough to carry around easily or small enough to shelter under a coat.

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