TURKISH MUSIC DICTIONARY
Hâbıt
Descending, as a characteristic of a melody.
Hadrâ
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hafif
A 32-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, consisting of eight measures of Sofyân in different arrangements. It is used in forms such as peşrev, kâr, best, ilâhî and tevşîh.
Hafîfü'l-Hezec
A light version of the major usûl Hezec (See Hezec) used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present
Hâkim
See Güçlü.
Halay
The name for circular line dances of Eastern, Central and Southern Anatolia, and the music that accompanies these dances. Believed to derive from the word alay (parade, pageant) in the sense of "community, society," halays constitute the largest repertoire of Turkish folk music and dances. Halays may be danced by men and women together, or separately.
Halîle
See Zil.
Halîle-Zen
See Zil-Zen.
Halk Oyunu
See Folk Dance.
Halk Müziği
See Folk Music.
Halk Türküsü
The urban turm for local folk songs.
Hamdiyye
A type of ilâhî in Turkish Classical Music, comprised of those which contain lyrics thanking God.
Hâne
In Turkish Classical Music, the name for each section of a composition separated by the lines of the lyrics and the course of the melody. With the exception of the nakış form, almost all forms contain four hânes. The first hâne is known as the zemin-hâne (ground hane) or ser-hâne (head hâne); the second as the nakarat or mülazime; the third as the meyan-hâne and the fourth as the son-hâne (last hâne), nakarat or mülazime.
Hânende
A vocalist in Turkish Classical Music.
Harput Ağzı
The term for the uzun hava singing style common in the Harput/Elazığ region.
Harrân
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Harzem
A fourteen-beet minor usûl once used in Turkish Classical Music, composed of two measures of Türk Aksağı and one of Sofyân. No examples have survived to the present.
Hava
Hava Çekmek
Havâî (=Hevâî/Merdem-Zâd)
In Turkish folk music, an older term for the taksim.
Hâver
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Hâvî
A 64-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, composed of two measures of Sofyân, two of Yürük Semâî, seven of Sofyân and one Nîm Hafîf. It is used in the beste and peşrev forms.
Hayâl-i Murâd
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hayân
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. Some theoreticians consider this makam a variant of the makam Neveser. Its dominant is rast (Sol/G).
Hazân
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hece vezni
Poetic meter based on the number of syllables. The largest part of Turkish folk literature consists of poems in such meters.
Heftgâh
A makam used in Turkish Classical Music, defined by some theoreticians as a transposed (şed) makam. It is created by transposing the scale of the makam Segâh to nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp). Its tonic is nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp) and its dominant is hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E).
Hegit
A bowed string instrument once used mostly by the southern Turkmen but no longer in use today. Syn. egit, eğit.
Helhele
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 zılgıt.
Hezec
A 22-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, used in the peşrev, beste and kâr forms. It has variants such as Hezec-i Arabî and Hezec-i Türkî, as well as degrees such as Hezec-i Hafîf and Hezec-i Sakıyl.
Hicâz
1. In Turkish Classical Music, the note Do/C five komas sharp in the high octave.
2. A simple makam used in Turkish Classical Music. It is formed by adding a Râst pentachord transposed to nevâ (Re/D) to the Hicâz tetrachord on dügâh (La/A - in its place). It usually exhibits a descending-ascending character, and sometimes a purely ascending one. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D). Its suspended cadences are nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp) with the Nikrîz flavor, and dik kürdî (Si/B four komas flat), which are also the suspended cadences of the makam Humayûn; as well as the semitonics of the other makams in the Hicâz family (See Hicâz Family)ç These ınclude Bûselik transposed to nevâ (Re/D), Uşşâk transposed to hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E) and flavors of Hicâz.
Hicâz-Acem
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Hicâz-Aşîrân
See Râhatfezâ.
Hicâz-Bûselik
A variant of the makam Hicâz used in Turkish Classical Music, created by Dede Efendi by adding a Bûselik pentachord or the basic scale of the makam Bûselik to the basic Hicâz scale. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A) and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D).
Hicâz-Büzürk
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Hicâz-Dilkeş
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Hicâz Family
A category of simple makams in Turkish Classical Music. The makams Hümâyûn, Hicâz, Uzzal and Zirgûleli Hicaz, which resolve on dügâh (La/A) with the Hicâz flavor and are descending-ascending in character, are classified under this category. They are differentiated by their dominants and flavors on these notes. In Turkish music, there is much transition between the Hicâz famil makams.
Hicâz-Gerdâniye
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâz-Geveşt
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâz-Hüseynî
The name given to the makam Hisâr by Alî-Şâh.
Hicâz-Mâye
A variant of the makam Hicâz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâz-Nevrûz
A variant of the makam Hicâz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâz-Selmek
A variant of the makam Hicâz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâz-Şehnâz
A variant of the makam Hicâz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâz-Zemzeme
A varıant of the makam Hicâz used in Turkish Classical Music, created by adding the Kürdî tetrachord to the basic Hicâz scale. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D).
Hicâz-Zengûle
See Zengûle.
Hicâz-Zirgûle
See Zengûle.
Hicaz Pentachord
A five-note scale pattern created by adding a whole tone to one Hicâz tetrachord (See Hicâz tetrachord) on dügâh (La/A - in its place).
Hicâz-ı Garîb
See Garîb Hicâz.
Hicâz-ı Hicâz
A variant of the makam Hicâz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâz-ı Hümâyun
See Hümâyun.
Hicâz-ı Muhâlif
See Râhatfezâ.
Hicâz-ı Muhâlifek
A variant of the makam Hicâz used in Turkish Classical Music
Hicâz-ı Irâk (=Hicâzî Irâk)
A variant of the makam Hicâz used in Turkish Classical Music, created by adding an ırâk tetrachord (which is the segâh tetrachord transposed to ırak - Fa/F four komas sharp) to the basis scale of the makam Hicâz. Its tonic is ırâk, and its dominants are dügâh (La/A) and nevâ (Re/D).
Hicâz-ı Rekb
A variant of the makam Hicâz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâz-ı Rûmî
A variant of the makam Hicâz used in Turkish Classical Music, created by adding the basic scale of the makam Hisâr to the basic Hicâz scale.
Hicâz-ı Türkî (=Türkî Hicâz)
A variant of the makam Hicâz used in Turkish Classical Music, created by adding the basic scale of the makam Nikrîz to the basic Hicâz scale. Its tonic is rast (Sol/G).
Hicâzeyn
A variant of the makam Hicâz used in Turkish Classical Music, created by Sultan Selim III by adding a Hicâz scale transposed to hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E) to the basic scald of the makam Hicâz. The reason for the name Hicâzeyn, meaning "Two Hicâz" is the use of two Hicâz scales in the makam. Its tonic is hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E), and its dominants are dügâh (La/A) and nevâ (Re/D).
Hicâzî
One of the old names for the makam Hicâz.
Hicâzî Irâk
See Hicâz-ı Irâk.
Hicâzî Isfahân
A variant of the makam Hicâz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hicâzî Uşşâk
A variant of the makam Hicâz used in Turkish Classical Music, created by adding the basic scale of the makam Uşşâk or Hüseynî to the basic Hicâz or Hümayûn scale. Appearing in one nefes, this makam was named by Rauf Yektâ Bey. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominants are nevâ (Re/D) and hüseynî (Mi/E).
Hicâzkâr
A makam used in Turkish Classical Music. According to some theoreticians, it is a transposed (şed) makam. Howwever, it has also been used as compound makam with an altered scale. When the main scale is not changed, only transposed to râst (Sol/G), it is created by transposing the basic scale of the makam Zirgûle'li Hicâz to râst (Sol/G). It is descending in character. Its tonic is râst (Sol/G), and its dominants are gerdâniye (Sol/G) and nevâ (Re/D). When the main scale does not change, its suspended cadences are the flavors Hicâz transposed to nevâ (Re/D), Nikrîz transposed to çargâh (Do/C) and Hüzzâm transposed to segâh (Si/B one koma flat). When the scale does change, they are the flavors Kürdî transposed to nevâ (Re/D) and Bûselik transposed to çargâh (Do/C).
Hicâzkâr-Bûselik
A variant of the makam Hicâzkâr used in, created by Santûrî Ethem Efendi by adding the Bûselik pentachord or basic scale to the basic Hicâzkâr scale. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A) and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D).
Hicâzkâr-ı Kadîm
A variant of the makam Hicâzkâr once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Hicâzkâr-Kürdî
The old name of the makam Kürdî'li Hicâzkâr.
Hicrânî
The name of an âşık makam of Northern Anatolia. In other parts of Anatolia, this word is used as a title or adjective: Hicrani Kerem, Hicrani ağıt, Hİcrani makamı.
Hisâr
The note Re/D five komas sharp or Mi/E four komas flat in the high octave.
Hisâr-Aşîrân
A variant of the makam Hisâr used in Turkish Classical Music, created by Râkim Elkutlu by adding an Uşşâk tetrachord transposed to hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E) to the basic scale of the makam Sûz-i Dil. Its tonic is hüseynî-aşîrân (Mi/E), and its dominant is bûselik (Si/B).
Hisâr-Bûselik
A variant of the makam Hisâr used in Turkish Classical Music. According to some theoreticians, there are two forms of this makam: One of these is is created by adding the Bûselik pentachord or basic scale to one of the scales that creates the makam Hisâr; the other is created by adding the basic pentachord or basic scale of the makam Bûselik directly to the Sûz-i Dil makam instead of the Hüseynî pentachord or basic scale. It is descending-ascending in character. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominant is hüseynî (Mi/E).
Hisârek
A variant of the makam Hisâr once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hisâr-Evc
A variant of the makam Hisâr once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hisâr-ı Büzürk
A variant of the makam Hisâr once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hisâr-ı Gayr-ı Müsteâr
A variant of the makam Hisâr once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hisâr-ı Nîk
A variant of the makam Hisâr once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hisâr-ı Vecch-i Şehnâz
A variant of the makam Hisâr used in Turkish Classical Music, created by combining the scales of the makams Şehnâz and Hisâr. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A).
Hisâr-Kürdî
A variant of the makam Hisâr once used in Turkish Classical Music, created by Abdükbâki Nâsır dede by adding a Kürdî tetrachord to the scale of the makam Hisâr. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A). No examples have survived to the present.
Hocest
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hoplatma
A fast, lively section of a folk dance such as Halay or Bar.
Hora
A folk dance common in the Balkans and Thrace, and the melody that accompanies this dance.
Horan
See Horon.
Horâsânî
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. According to some theoreticians, it is created by adding the basic scales of the makams Vech-i Hüseynî, Dügâh, Uzzâl and Zengûle to the basic scale of the makam Uşşâk. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A).
Horâsânî-i Bayâtî
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Horlatma
Lit. "To make snore" - A technique of playing the end-blown flute (kaval) in such a way as to produce certain tones together with their harmonics. Also known as sızlatmak.
Horon
Any of several line dances of the Central and Eastern Black Sea, and the music that accompanies these dances.
Hoş-Âver
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hoş-Reng
A 17-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hoş-Serâ(y)
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hoyrat
A non rhythmic (free measured) melody which's lyrics are settled on metaphoric Turkish poems. Mostly singed among Southern Anatolian and Iraqi Turkmens.
Hûcet
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hûdavendigâr
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Hûfte-Isfahan
Klâsik A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hûzî
Hûzî-Aşîrân
A variant of the makam Hûzî used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Hüseynî pentachord on hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E) to the basic scale of the makam Hûzî. Its tonic is hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E) and its dominants are dügâh (La/A), çargâh (Do/C) and nevâ (Re/D).
Hûzî-Bûselik
A variant of the makam Hûzî used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Bûselik basic scale or pentachord to the Hûzî scale. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A).
Hûzî Nigâr
A variant of the makam Hûzî used in Turkish Classical Music.
Hüdayda
One of the most common folk melodies in the Ankara region.
Hüdayda Düzeni (Tuning)
The saz tuning adapted to the tune Hüdayda of the Ankara region. The lower string is La/A, and the middle and upper strings are Re/D.
Hümâyûn (=Hicâz Hümâyûn)
A simple makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Bûselik pentachord transpoased to nevâ (Re/D) to the Hicâz tetrachord on dügâh (La/A - in its place). It is mostly ascending-descending, and sometimes purely ascending in character. It's tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D). Its suspended cadences are the Nikrîz flavor on râst (Sol/G - in its place) which, the notes nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp) and dik kürdî (Si/B four komas flat), which are also the suspended cadences of the makam Hicâz, as well as the flavors Râst transposed to nevâ (Re/D), Uşşâk transposed to hüseynî (Mi/E) and Hicâz, which flavors on the other domints comprising the Hicâz family.
Hüseynî
1. The name in Turkish Classical Music for the note Mi/E in the high octave.
2. A simple makam used in Turkish Classical Music, cormed by adding an Uşşâk tetrachord transposed to hüseynî (Mi/E) to the Hüseynî pentachord on dügâh (La/A - in its usual place). It is descending-ascending in character. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominant is hüseynî (Mi/E). Its suspended candences are çargâh (Do/C), segâh (Si/B one koma flat) and nevâ (Re/D), as well as the flavors Çargâh on çargâh (in its place), Pençgâh transposed to çargâh, Segâh on segâh (in its place) Eksik Segâh, Ferahnâk and Eksik Ferahnâk transposed to segâh, and Rast and Bûselik transposed to nevâ, as well as the Segâh trichord.
3. A makam commonly used in Alevi-Bektashi communities, as well as melodic patterns performed in this makam.
Hüseynî-Acem
A variant of the makam Hüseynî once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hüseynî-Arabân
A variant of the makam Hüseynî used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the basic scale of the makam Arabân to the Hüseynî scale.
Hüseynî-Aşîrân
1. The name for Mi/E in the middle octave in Turkish Classical Music.
2. A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. It is formed by adding an Uşşâk tetrachord transposed to hüseynî aşîran (Mi/E) to the basic scale of the makam Hüseynî on dügâh (in its place). It is descending in character. Its tonic is hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E), and its dominants are hüseynî (Mi/E) and dügâh (La/A). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Çargâh on çargâh (Do/C), Râst and Bûselik on nevâ (Re/D), Segâh and Ferahnâk on segâh (Si/B one koma flat), Râst on râst (Sol/G), Segâh on ırâk (Fa/F four komas sharp) and Râst on yegâh (Re/D) as well as the Segâh trichord on segâh.
Hüseynî-Aşîrân-ı Cedîd (=Aşîrân-ı Cedîd)
In Turkish Classical Music, the name given in musical journals by Sadullah Ağa to the Hüseynî Aşîrân fasıl, composed of Zincir and Hafif bestes, and the Sengin andYürük Semâîs of Sultan Selim III
Hüseynî-Bûselik
A variant of the makam Hüseynî used in Turkish Classical Music, created by Kâzım Uz by adding a Bûselik pentachord or basic scale to the basic scale of the makam Hüseynî. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A) and its dominant is hüseynî (Mi/E).
Hüseynî-Gerdâniye
A variant of the makam Hüseyni once used in Turkish Classical Music. No example have survived to the present.
Hüseynî-Geveşt
A variant of the makam Hüseyni once used in Turkish Classical Music. No example have survived to the present.
Hüseynî-Kürdî
See Hüseynî-Zemzeme.
Hüseynî-Nevrûz
A variant of the makam Hüseyni once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hüseynî-Nikrîz
A variant of the makam Hüseyni once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Hüseynî-Rehâvi
A variant of the makam Hüseyni once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hüseynî-Sabâ
A variant of the makam Hüseyni used in Turkish Classical Music created by adding the basic scale of the makam Sabâ to the basic Hüseynî scale. Its tonic is çargâh (Do/C) and its dominants are dügâh (La/A) and hüseynî (Mi/E).
Hüseynî-Şehnâz
A variant of the makam Hüseyni once used in Turkish Classical Music. No example have survived to the present.
Hüseynî-Zemzeme (=Hüseynî-Kürdî)
A variant of the makam Hüseyni used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Kürdî tetrachord to the basic Hüseynî scale. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A) and its dominats are hüseynî (Mi/E) and nevâ (Re/D).
Hüseyni Beşlisi (Pentachord)
A five-note scale pattern used in Turkish Classical Music,formed by adding a whole step to the Uşşâk tetrachord on dügâh (La/A - in its place).
Hüsn-ü Ân
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No example have survived to the present.
Hüzzam
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. It is creater adding a Hicâz tetrachord transposed to evc (Fa/F four komas sharp) to the Hüzzam pentachord on segâh (Si/B one koma flat - in its place). Its tonic is segâh (Si/B one koma flat) and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D).
Hüzzam-ı Cedid
A variant on the makam Hüzzam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Segâh tetrachord on ırâk (Fa/F four komas sharp) to the basic scale of the makam Hüzzam. Its tonic is ırâk, and its dominants are nevâ (Re/D) and segâh (Si/B one koma flat).
Hüzzam-ı Kadîm
"Old Hüzzam." A variant of the makam Hüzzam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hüzzam-ı Rûmî (=Anadolu Hüzzamı)
"Old Hüzzam." A variant of the makam Hüzzam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Hüzzam Beşlisi (Pentachord)
A five-note scale pattern used in Turkish Classical Music formed by adding a whole tone to the Hüzzam tetrachord (See Hüzzam Tetrachord) on segâh.
Hüzzam Dörtlüsü (Tetrachord)
A four-note scale pattern in formed from the note segâh (Si/B one koma flat - in its place) so as to form a diminished fourth.