TURKISH MUSIC DICTIONARY
Yabanci Ses
In Turkish Classical Music, a note foreign to the scale of a makam.
Yahyalı Kerem
A type of Kerem Havası (See Kerem Havası).
Yakım
A folk poem or mani sung to a melody.
Yakın Geçki
A modulation from one makam to another makam with a similar scale.
Yakın Makam
A makam with a similar scale relative to another makam.
Yakmak
To create a melody, to put words to music and create a new song.
Yallı
A halay-type dance performed in Northern Anatolia and Azerbaijan, and the music that accompanies this dance.
Yaman Türkî
A makam created by Dutch musicologist Woulter Swets.
Yanık
Plaintive, intense. A musical performance of such quality.
Yanık Kerem
A form of Kerem Havası (See Kerem Havası) with a melodic patern that resembles the makam Nikrîz, and uzun havas sung with this melody.
Yâr
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Yarım Durgu
See Durgu.
Yatağan
A string instrument once used in Turkish Classical Music that resembled a santûr.
Yaylı Çalgılar
Bowed instruments, a term coined by scholars but unknown colloquially, for all the instruments played by a bow. Kemençe, Kabak Kemane, Tırnak Kemane, Nahora, Kemança etc.
Yaylı Tanbûr
A tanbûr played with a bow. This playing style was first created by Cemil Bey. Though there are master players today, it is thought of mostly as an instrument of the commercial scene.
Yedekli Koşma
A type of koşma meter in which mani verses are added between the lines.
Yedekli Tecnis
A type of poetry in which manis featuring word play are added between the lines.
Yeden
The note before the tonic, which tends toward resolution on the tonic.
Yegâh
1. In Turkish Classical Music, the note Re/D in the middle octave.
2. A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the Râst scale transposed to nevâ (Re/D) to the scale of the makam Nevâ. It is descending in character. Its tonic is nevâ (Re/D) and its dominant is dügâh (La/A). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Segâh or Ferahnâk on segâh (Si/B one koma flat) or the Segâh trichord, the Uşşâk, Râst and Bûselik tetrachord on dügâh, the Ferahnâk pentachord and the Segâh trichord on ırâk (Fa/F four komas sharp), as well as the Rast flavor on râst (Sol/g) and Uşşâk on hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E).
Yeldirme
The fast portion of Halays, Bars and Semâhs. Also Yelleme
Yelli Düdük
1. Another name for the folk flute known as the çifte.
2. The old name for the reed pipe.
Yelteme (=Yaltama)
A string instrument once used in Turkish music. It is mentioned in Evliya Çelebi's travelogue, but aside from its name, we have no information about it.
Yemen Dümbeleği
A type of dümbelek used in Turkish music.
Yerli
Local; a term often used in describing musical features unique to a particular area. Yerli Ağzı, Yerli Barı, Yerli Divanisi etc.
Yır
A word for song, türkü, melody among the Central Asian Turkic peoples. Also Ir.
Yol Havası
Lit. "Road/Journey Air," the term for a song telling of a journey.
Yüksek
High in register.
Yüksek Hava
A folk song sung in a high register.
Yüngül
A term indicating that a song or piece should be played quickly.
Yürük
In Turkish Classical Music, a term meaning that the usûl is to be played quickly.
Yürük Semâî
1. A minor usûl of Turkish Classical Music, formed by playing two measures of Semâî consecutively. It is generally written in 6/8. The 6/4 form is called Sengîn Semâî, and the 6/2 form, Ağır Semâî.
2. High form in Turkish Classical Music; the fastest of the high vocal forms.
Yürük Yürük Semâî
The fastest of the 6/8 form of Yürük Semâî.