TURKISH MUSIC DICTIONARY
Zâd-i Dil
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zafer
A minor usûl of Turkish Classical Music.
Zâhir
See Yeden.
Zahma
An instrumental piece played in between sung dance tunes in the Sivas/Tokat region. These pieces may be played in between the songs or as independent instrumental pieces.
Zahme
1. An old form of Turkish Classical Music.
2. A Kudüm stick.
Zâkir
A person who plays the saz and sings nefes in the Bektashi order.
Zamah
A variant of the word semah in certain regions. See Semah.
Zambur
A folk instrument of the Gaziantep region constructed of two eagle or stork leg bones bound together with reeds inserted in the ends.
Zamr
An old wind instrument once used in Turkish music.
Zâvil
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Nikrîz pentachord to the makam Mâhûr. Descending in character, its tonic is râst (Sol/G) and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D). Also called Zavilî.
Zâvilî
The old name for the makam zâvil. See Zâvil.
Zâvilî-Isfahân
A variant of the makam Zâvil once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zâvilî-Segâh
A variant of the makam Zâvil once used in Turkish Classical Music. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A).
Zemîn
The name of the first hâne in Turkish Classical Music pieces.
Zemzem
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zemzeme
An alternative name for the makam Zemzem.
Zemzeme-Kürdî
A variant of the makam Zemzem once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zencîr
A 120-beat major usûl of Turkish Classical Music. It is formed of the usûls Çifte Düyek, Fâhte, Çenber, Devr-i Kebîr and Berefşân in that order.
Zende-Rûd
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zengûle (=Zirgüle)
1. In Turkish Classical Music, the name for the note Sol/G five komas sharp of Si/B four komas sharp in the middle octave. In the lower octave it is called kaba zengûle, and in the high octave, şehnâz.
2. A simple makam used in Turkish Classical Music. Its alternative name is Zengûleli Hicâz. It is formed by adding a Hicâz tetrachord to a Hicâz pentachord. Ascending in character, its tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominant is hüseynî (Mi/E). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Nikrîz on râst (Sol/G) and nevâ (Re/D), the notes nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp) and dik kürdî (Si/B four komas flat) with no flavor, Bûselik and Râst on nevâ (Re/D), and Uşşâk on hüseynî (Mi/E).
3. The Persian word for a rattle or small cymbal.
Zengûle-Bûselik
A variant of the makam Zengûle used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the scale of the makam Bûseik to the scale of the makam Zengûle on dügâh (La/A - in its place). Its tonic is dügâh (La/A).
Zengûle-Gerdâniye
A variant of the makam Zengûle once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zengûle-Geveşt
A variant of the makam Zengûle used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the scale of the makam Geveşt to that of the makam Zengûle on segâh (Si/B one koma flat). Its tonic is segâh (Si/B one koma flat). No example have survived to the present.
Zengûle'li Kürdî
A compound makam of Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Hicâz tetrachord to the makam Kürdî. Its tonic is Zengûle (Sol/G four komas sharp).
Zengûle'li Sûznâk
A transposed makam used in Turkish Classical Music. It is the makam Zengûle transposed to râst. Descending-ascending in character, its tonic is râst (Sol/G), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D). Its suspended cadences are the flavor Nikrîz on çargâh (Do/C), the notes eviç (Fa/F four komas sharp) and hisar (Mi/E four komas flat) with no flavor, and the flavor Hüzzâm on segâh (Si/B one koma flat).
Zengûle-Mâye
A variant of the makam Zengûle once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zengûle-Nevrûz
A variant of the makam Zengûle once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zengûle-Selmek
A variant of the makam Zengûle once used in Turkish Classical Music formed by adding the scale of the makam Selmek to a Zengûle scale transposed to râst. Its tonic is râst. No examples have survived to the present.
Zengûle-Şehnâz
A variant of the makam Zengûle once used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the scale of the makam Şehnâz to a Zengûle scale on dügâh (La/A - in its place). Its tonıc ıs dügâh (La/A). No examples have survived to the present.
Zevk-Bahş
A variant of the makam Zengûle once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zevk-ı Dil
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zevk-u Tarab
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. It shares the same structure with the makams Şevk-i Cedîd and Arabân Kürdî. It is not an independent makam; it is a period name.
Zeybek
A folk dance occurring mostly in the Aegean region and danced by at least one or two people; and the music that accompanies this dance. Although zeybeks are mostly in 9, there are also some zeybeks in 2 or 4 beat rhythms. The saz player Talip özkan calls these kinds of zeybeks "Zeybekimsi" (Zeybek-ish)
Zeyl-Hâne
The name for the last hâne of peşrevs and saz semâîsis having more than four hânes.
Zılgıt
Ululation, a sound consisting of li li li li or lü lü lü lü, made by women in Southern Anatolia to express excitement, joy or grief. Also known as helhele.
Zikir
Meaning "remembering, remembrance," the word zikir is also the name for worship ceremonies held by various religious orders, in which music generally holds an important place. Some orders have a specialized repertoire that is played at zikirs. The function of the music at these ceremonies is to increase the passion for worship.
Zil
1. Finger cymbals, attached to the thumb and index or middle fingers.
2. Cymbals around 30 cm in diameter held in the two hands.
3. An instrument attached to the davul and played in various types of music.
Zilli Çadır
An instrument used in Mehter music consisting of small cymbols attached to a stick. It is usually carried by singers in the Mehter band.
Zilli Maşa
A folk instrument consisting of a pair of tongs with branched ends and pairs of cymbals mounted on the ends of the "branches." Also called a çalpara.
Zilli Tef
Large-, medium- and small-sized frame drums with cymbals mounted in the frame.
Zil-Zen
A player of the zils/cymbals.
Zil Zurna
A small-sized, high pitched zurna found mostly in the East Black Sea region.
Zimbon
A wind instrument, played mostly by children, of the East Black Sea region.
Zîrefkend (=Zîrefken)
A compound makam used in, formed by adding the scale of the makam Sabâ transposed to aşîrân to the scales of the makams Mahûr, Rühnevâz and Çargâh. It is descending in character. Its tonic is aşîrân (Mi/E), and its dominants are râst (Sol/G), çargâh (Do/C), nevâ (Re/d) and bûselik (Si/B. Its suspended cadences are the flavors Nikrîz on râst (Sol/G)ö the notes nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp) and dik kürdî (Si/B four komas flat) with no flavor, the Ferahnâk tetrachord or the Ferahnâk flavor on ırâk (Fa four komas sharp) and Râst on yegâh (Re/D).
Zîrefkend-i Büzürg
A variant of the makam Zîrefkend once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Zîrefkend-i Kûçek
A variant of the makam Zîrefkend used in Turkish Classical Musicö later known simply as Zîrefkend.
Zîrefkend-i Rûmî
A variant of the makam Zîrefkend once used in Turkish Classical Music; the form taken by the makam Zîrefkend in Anatolia.
Zîrgüle
The alternative name for the makam Zengûle.
Zîrkeş-Hâverân
A compound makam used in. The old name for the makam Dilkeş-Hâverân.
Zîrkeş-Hüseynî
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. A variant of the makam Dilkeş-Hâverân.
Zîrkeşîde
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music.
Ziyâde
Another word for "koma." This word is still in use among older musicians today.
Zurna
A woodwind folk instrument with a reed common in nearly ever region of Turkey. They are divided into three main groups from largest (lowest in pitch) to smallest (highest in pitch): Kaba zurna, orta zurna and cura zuran (zil zurna). The zurna is always played outdoors and in squares accompanied by a davul. At weddings, henna nights, soldier farewells and other such activities, the melody is provided by the zurna and the davul sets the beat. Going from east to west, the size of the zurna is seen to increase.
Zülf-i Nigâr
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music.