Turkish classical music is monodic and the tradition is oral.

The solution to organization problems in such an art has

depended heavily on two complex systems: Makam and
Usul

What is a makam? Is it just a scale? Actually, the basic scale of a

makam is the most elemental part of it, but cannot by itself define
the makam. The scale is the skeleton, but the makam is not a
corpse or a pile of bones, it is a living, breathing thing, and so much
more is needed to describe a makam, just like with a person.

MAKAM: A compositional device, which forms the basis for

the melodic development of a piece of music and also
provides some guidelines for its performance.
classical Turkish compositions are named and classified
according to their makam
A makam is a combination of scale and of a melodic
development (Seyir). Degree of importance: scale (10%) /
Seyir (90%).
The basic note intervals, or scale, of a makam are usually broken up
into two pieces: a pentachord and a tetrachord, or vice versa. It is
important to note, however, that a makam's 'scale' is usually not
just an octave of notes, but contains important notes below and
above the basic octave.

The scale system

Constructed from simple building blocks, each consisting
of four or five notes, i.e. a tetrachord (drtl) or
pentachord (beli).
- Each tetrachord or pentachord has a characteristic
pattern of intervals and is usually based on a particular
note. When two or more tetrachords/pentachords are
combined to form the scale of a makam, the makam is
often named after the lowest (or most important) of these.
There are obviously thousands of ways to combine
different tetrachords and pentachords, but only a small
proportion of these combinations are used in
actual makamlar. Around a hundred makamlar are
currently in use, although some are much more common
than others.

Intervallic structure
There are many structural aspects to the Turkish makam
system, but of these, the intervallic structure is the most
fundamental.
Intervals are divided into commas. There is 9 microtones
or commas in a whole tone C D (4 between E and F and B
and C.
! Theory usually differs from practice: musicians usually
play three or four commas flatter or sharper than in theory
The melodic development (Seyir)
Melodic dvpt with points of rest centred around particular
notes along the way
- karar / durak = tonic
- tiz durak: an octave above the tonic
- the gl : the dominant
- the giri : the entry note
+ the yeden (leading note) and the asma karar
(suspended cadence)
Melodic direction :
- Ascending : the melody starts around the tonic karar,
moves up to the (dominant) gl and then returns to
the karar again.
- Descending : the melody starts around the tiz durak (an
octave above the tonic) k, and then descends via
the gl to the karar.
- Ascending-decending : the melody starts around
the gl, moves above and below this note before
returning to it, and then
descends to the karar.
USL: the rhythmic modes of Turkish music. Regulates the
rhythmic component of all composed pieces. A repeating
rhythmic cycle, roughly equivalent to the Western
measure // tala in Indian music. Current repertoire
comprises about 40 50 usuls. Each has a distinctive
name and a unique pattern or light and heavy beats.
On a piece of Turkish sheet music, it will be indicated
below the title (together with the makam)
- Consists of regularly repeating sequence of beats, with
each beat represented by one or two different types of

drumstrocke
- Time signature = 2 numbers (bellow: indicates the
relative length of each beat / above: how many of these
beats make up the repeating unit of the pattern)
TAKSIM: is a semi-improvised form in which the performer
introduces the makam of the subsequent composition, and
may also modulate to several related makamlar before
returning to the original one.
FASIL: The traditional Turkish performance program. It
would normally consist of a number of different pieces
from the classical repertoire based on the same makam.
THE USSAK MAKAM
Consists of an Ussak tetrachord + a Bselik pentachord on

the note Neva (D)