The cura () is a Turkish plucked string folk instrument. It is the smallest and highest pitched member of the baÃÂlama family of instruments. It is found in nearly every region of the country with varying exact dimensions, tunings, playing techniques, and names including dede sazñ, parmak cura, üç telli cura, baÃÂlama curasñ, and tanbura curasñ. The two other members of the baÃÂlama family are the larger tambura and the largest divan sazñ, which are one and two octaves lower than the cura, respectively.
The instrument has three main parts, the bowl (tekne), the sound board (göÃÂüs), and the neck (sap). The bowl is made from mulberry wood, juniper, beech, spruce, or walnut, the sound board made of spruce, and the neck is made of beech or juniper. The tuning pegs (burgu literally screw). Frets are tied to the neck with fishing line, which allows them to be adjusted. The cura is usually played with a mñzrap or tezene, a plectrum made from cherrywood bark or plastic, but in some regions, it is played with the fingers in a style known as à Âelpe or à Âerpe.
The two-stringed KozaÃÂaç cura, known as simply âÂÂtwo-stringedâ in the Teke region, varies in terms of structural and instrumental features.