Beginning Bağlama (Saz) with Ercan Alkan - An Eight-Week Group Class

Learn the bağlama — the Turkish stringed instrument that's been central to folk music across the Balkans, Anatolia, and the Middle East for centuries — in an eight-week group class with Ercan Alkan.

Ercan Alkan is a Turkish musician and instructor based in Brooklyn, bringing hands-on teaching to a beginner-friendly setting. Over eight weeks, you'll move from holding the instrument to playing simple melodies, with a focus on both technique and the musical traditions the bağlama carries.

Jalopy Theatre is a small, intimate venue in Brooklyn Heights that doubles as a music school — the kind of place where you'll feel like you're learning in someone's living room rather than a sterile classroom. Classes run Saturday evenings, 6 to 7:15 PM. No prior experience needed.