TURKISH MUSIC DICTIONARY
Nagam (ât)
See Nağme
Nağara
The name used in Azarbaijan for the koltuk davul, a smaller form of davul. In Anatolia, an alternative name for the davul.
Nağme
In its most general meaning, a sound. In Turkish Classical Music, it refers to a motif or a set collection of melodies.
Nağme-i Kâbil
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nahora
A folk music instrument used around Mardin. It is made from wood or calabash.
Nakarât
The repeated set of words in songs, the refrain. It displays differences in terms of lyrics and melody from the mmain melodic pattern. The nakarat section of a tune is in a form that is more likely to stick in the mind, and is more flowing in character. The nakarat is so important to the structural character of Turkish music, that the melody of a song's introduction and instrumental take on the same melody as the nakarat. See Bağlantı, Kavuştak.
Nakış
A special type of the beste and semâî forms. Although nakış bestes are little used, most of the semâîs are of the nakış type. In this type, the first two verses of the lyrics come one after the other, then the terennüm (See terennüm) comes and forms the third verse. The fouth verse follows immediately, and then there is a return to the terennüm. Thus these pieces contain two terennüms and two hânes. The different types of nakış beste and nakış semâîs are: Nakış Ağır Aksak Semâî, Nakış Ağır Semâî, Nakış Ağır Sengin Semâî, Nakış Ağır Yürük Semâî, Nakış Aksak Semâî, Nakış Semâî, Nakış Sengin Semâî, Nakış Yürük Semâî and Nakış Yürük Yürük Semâî.
Nakış Beste
A type of beste usually composed to the usûl Lenk-Fâhte, and with the terennüm coming after two verses. Rarely, varieties counted with the usûl Devr-i Revân occur as well.
Nakışlama (=Süsleme)
A musical motif with ornamentations.
Nakkâre
Nakre
An usûl time mentioned in the old Edvâr books.
Nâ-Murâd
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nârefte
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nâ't
A type of Turkish religious music. Written in preaise of the Prophet Muhammed, they are composed in various usûls, and in Arabic, Persian and Turkish.
Nâ't-Hân
A singer of Nâ't.
Nây
See Ney.
Nay-ı Balaban
A wind instrument once used in Turkish Classical Music rembling a mey or zurna.
Nay-ı Câvûr
A wind instrument once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nay-ı Hıyk
A wind instrument once used in Turkish Classical Music, a sort of bagpipe.
Nay-ı Tanbûr
An old instrument once used in Turkish Classical Music which resembled today's yaylı (bowed) tanbûr.
Nâz
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the scale of the makam Pençgâh on râst (Sol/G - in its place) to the scale of the makam Uzzal on dügâh (La/A - in its place). Its tonic is râst (Sol/G). No examples have survived to the present day.
Nazariyat
Music theory. Turkish musical theory has a history of nearly one thousand years, and is built on early period philosophers, musicians and mathematicians such as Urmevî, Farabî and Meragî. During the last century, at least four different original theories of Turkish music have been proposed, and Turkish music has entered a process of examination with scientific methods. One group of theoreticians, who are mostly performers themselves, continue to pass on their knowledge to their students in a master-apprentice relationship. Because of the lack of scholarly analysis and approach, there is still much to be learned about Turkish music theory. During the last century, the work on Turkish musical theory by people such as Rauf Yekta, H. Saadettin Arel- Dr. Suphi Ezgi-S. Murat Uzdilek, Ekrem Karadeniz and Abdülkadir Töre remain as the only modern theories.
Nâzenin
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music, constructed by adding the scale of the makam Dügâh in its place to the scale of the makam Hüzzam on segâh (B one koma flat - in its place). Its tonic is dügâh (La/A).
Nâzım
One of the three makam groups defined by the old theoreticians.
Nâzil
See İnici.
Nâzlı Devr-i Hindî
A twelve-count minor usûl created by İsmail Hakkı Bey.
Necd-i Hüseynî
A simple makam used in Turkish Classical Music. It remembles the makam Hüseynî, differing in that the note acem (Fa/F) is used in palced of evc (Fa/F four komas sharp). It may also be described as a type of Uşşâk in which the note nevâ (Re/D) is replaced by hüseynî (Mi/E).
Nefes
A religious/mystical musical genre performed mostly in the âyin-i cem of the Bektashi order.
Nefesli Çalgılar
Wind instruments. See Üflemeli Çalgılar.
Nefîr
A wind instruments used by dervishes in tekke music. See Derviş Borusu.
Nefîrî
A player of the nefîr.
Neresin
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nerîme Sesi
Another name for the note dik hicâz (Do/C eight komas sharp or Re/D one koma flat).
Nerm
The term used in the old edvârs for "low."
Nesîm
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music, which resembles the makam Sabâh. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A).
Neşât-Âver
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nevâ
1. In Turkish Classical Music, the note Re/D in the high octave.
2. A simple makam used in Turkish Classical Music, cormed by adding a Râst pentachord transposed to nevâ (Re/D) to the Uşşâk tetrachord on dügâh (La/A - in its place). It is ascending in character. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Râst on nevâ (Re/D), Segâh and Ferahnâk on evc, Çargâh on çargâh (Do/C), Segâh on segâh (Si/B one koma flat) and Râst on râst (Sol/G).
Nevâ-Âcem
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-Aşîrân
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-Bağdad
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nevâ-Bûselik
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the entire Bûselik scale to the scale of the makam Nevâ. Its toni is dügâh (La/A) and its dominants are nevâ (Re/D) and hüseynî (Mi/E).
Nevâ-Dilkeş
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nevâ-Gerdâniye
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-Geveşt
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-Kürdî
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Musicö formed by addıng a Kürdî tetrachord on dügâh (La/A - in its place) to the scale of the makam Nevâ. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A) and its dominants are nevâ (Re/D) and çargâh(Do/C).
Nevâ-Mâye
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-Nevrûz
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-Selmek
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-Şehnâz
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâyî
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-yi Hüseynî
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music, formed bhy adding the scale of the makam Hüseynî on dügâh (La/A - in its place) to the basic scale of the makam Nevâ. In later periods, the name Nevâ-Hüseynî was given to the transposition of the makam Hüseynî to nevâ (Re/D).
Nevâ-yi Sünbüle
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâ-yi Uşşâk
A variation of the makam Nevâ once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevâziş
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nev-Bahâr
A makam onceused in. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevbe
A type of large davul used in Mehter music.
Nevbet-i Müretteb (e)
A Turkish Classical Music form, comprised of vocal and instrumental pieces arranged one after the other.
Nev-Edâ
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nev-Eser
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Hicâz tetrachord on dügâh (La/A - in its place) to the Nikrîz pentachord on râst (Sol/G - in its place). Its tonic is râst (Sol/G), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D). It is descending-ascending in character. Its suspended cadences are nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp) and dik kürdî (Si/B four komas flat), as well as the flavors Hicâz on dügâh (La/A) and Hicâz on yegâh.
Nevkeş
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nev-Resîde
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, created by Ahmed Irsoy.
Nevrûz
1. The note dik acem (Fa/F one koma sharp)
2. A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. According to some theoreticians, it was the same as the modern Hüseynî scale, but in later years, this name was given to the makam Acem-Aşîrân resolving on acem (Fa/F).
3. A type of uzun hava sung in Southeastern Anatolia.
Nevrûz-Acem
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music, considered by some theoreticians to be another name for the true makam Nevrûz.
Nevrûz-Beyâti
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-Bûselik
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-Büzürg
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-Hicâz
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-Hüseynî
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Arab
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Asl
See Nevrûz.
Nevrûz-ı Hârâ
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-Irâk
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Rûmî
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nevrûz-Isfahân
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Sultânî
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Uşşâk
See Nevrûz-Uşşâk.
Nevrûz-ı Kûçek
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Nevâ
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Râst
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Rehâvî
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Sabâ
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Uşşâk
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevrûz-ı Zengûle
A variation of the makam Nevrûz once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nevruziyye
In Alevi-Bektashi culture, a type of nefes (See Nefes) sung in the cem on Nevruz (Spring equinox, March 21), which is also considered to be the birthday of Ali.
Ney
An end-blown flut made from a yellow cane with nodes (Arundo donax), used especially in mystic music. There are twelve kinds according to tuning. It is commonly used in secular music as well, with the exception of military music.
Neyzen
A player of the ney.
Nısfiye
A type of ney used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nısfiye-Zen
A player of the nısfiye.
Nigâr
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. Some theoreticians consider it to be similar to the makams Büzürg and Sûz-i Dilârâ.
Nigârçek
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nigârek
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nigâr-ı Nîk
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nigâr-ı Nîk-Acem
1. A makam used in Turkish Classical Music, considered by some theoreticians to be a transposed (şed) makam. It is formed by transposing the basic scale of the makam Bûselik to râst (Sol/G), and is descending-ascending in character. Its tonic is râst, and its dominant is nevâ. Its suspended cadences are the flavors Çargâh transposed to nîm hisâr (Si/B four komas flat), Bûselik transposed to çargâh (Do/C) and Kürdî transposed to dügâh (La/A).
2. The name used in some of the old theory books and periodicals for the note kürdî (Si/B four komas flat).
Nihâvend
1. A makam used in Turkish Classical Music, considered by some theoreticians to be a transposed (şed) makam. It is formed by transposing the basic scale of the makam Bûselik to râst (Sol/G), and is descending-ascending in character. Its tonic is râst, and its dominant is nevâ. Its suspended cadences are the flavors Çargâh transposed to nîm hisâr (Si/B four komas flat), Bûselik transposed to çargâh (Do/C) and Kürdî transposed to dügâh (La/A).
2. The name used in some of the old theory books and periodicals for the note kürdî (Si/B four komas flat).
Nihavend-i Cedîd
The name used by the Selim III school of Turkish Classical Music for the makam Nihâvend using the Kürdî tetrachord.
Nihâvend-i Kebîr
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by the combination of the Sultan-ı Yegâh makam to the form of the makam Bûselik which is the makam Nihâvend transposed to the note râst. Its tonic is râst (Sol/G), and its dominants are nevâ (Re/D) and dügâh (La/A).
Nihâvend-i Rûmî
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the Hicâz tetrachord to the basic scale of the makam Nihâvend on râst (Sol/G - in its place). Its tonic is sabâ. In later periods, this name was also used for today's Nihâvend.
Nihâvend-i Sagıyr
The name used during the period of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror for today's Nihâvend makam.
Nihüft
See Nühüft.
Nikrîz
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. There are two types: Nikrîz-i Kebîr and Nikrîz-i Sagıyr. The first type is formed by adding a Râst tetrachord transposed to nevâ (Re/D) to the Nikrîz pentachord on râst (in its place); the second is formed by adding a Bûselik tetrachord transposed to nevâ (Re/D) to the Nikrîz pentachord on râst (in its place). Its tonic is râst (Sol/G), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D). It possesses a descending-ascending character. Its suspended cadences are nîm hicâz (Si/B four komas flat) and dik kürdî (Si/B five komas flat) and the flavors flavors Bûselik and Râst transposed to nevâ (Re/D), Uşşâk transposed to hüseynî (Mi/E), Hicâz on dügâh (La/A - in its place) and Segâh and Ferahnâk on segâh (Si/B one koma flat - in its place).
Nikrîz-i Kebîr
In Turkish Classical Music, the old name for the makam Nikrîz.
Nikrîz-i Sagıyr
A variant oft he makam Nikrîz in Turkish Classical Music.
Nikrîz-Segâh
A makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nikriz Pentachord (Nikriz Beşlisi)
In Turkish Classical Music, a five-note scale pattern formed by adding a whole step to the lower register of the Hicâz tetrachord on dügâh (La/A - in its place). Thus the scale is based on râst (Sol/G).
Nîm
1. Persian "half." In Turkish Classical Music, when it occurs before the name of an usûl, it indicates an usûl lasting half as long as the usûl in question. Ex. Nîm Berefşân.
2. When it occurs before the name of a note, it indicates the note one koma flat. Ex. Nîm Hicâz.
Nîm Berefşân
Nîm Çenber
A 12-beat minor usûl of Turkish Classical Music, formed of one cycle each of Sofyân, Yürük Semâî and Nîm Sofyân. It is used in peşrevs and bestes.
Nîm Devîr
An 18-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, formed of one cycle of Yürük Semâî and three of Sofyân. It is used in peşrevs and bestes.
Nîm Düyek
In Turkish Classical Music, the name used for the usûl Nîm Sofyân in the early 20th century.
Nîm Evsat
A 13-beat minor usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, formed of two measures of Sofyân. It is mostly used in ilâhîs, and less frequently in some şarkıs and türküs.
Nîm Fahte
In Turkish Classical Music, another name for the usûl Lenk-Fâhte.
Nîm Hafîf
A 16-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, formed of four measures of the usûl Sofyân. It is used in peşrevs and bestes.
Nîm Hezec
A 14-beat minor usûl used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nîm Hicâz
In Turkish Classical Music, the name for the note Do/C five komas high or Re/D four komas flat in the high register.
Nîm Hisâr
In Turkish Classical Music, the name for the note Re/D five komas sharp or Mi/E four komas flat in the high register.
Nîm Kavî
In Turkish Classical Music, the term for a medium-strength beat of an usûl.
Nîm Muhammes
A 16-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, formed of four measures of Sofyân.
Nîm Sakıyl
A 24-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, formed of one cycle of Sofyân, two of Yürük Semâî and two of Sofyân. It is used in peşrevs, bestes and kârs.
Nîm Sofyân
A two-beat simple minor usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, used mainly in dance melodies such as sirtos and longas as well as in marches; and less frequently in certain şarkıs and ilâhîs.
Nîm Şehnâz
In Turkish Classical Music, the name for the note Sol/G five komas sharp or La/A four komas flat in the high register.
Nîm Zencir
A 60-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music. It is used mainly in peşrevs and bestes.
Nîm Zengûle
In Turkish Classical Music, the name for the note Sol/G five komas sharp or La/A four komas flat in the middle register.
Nîm Zirgûle
See Nîm Zengûle.
Ninni
A lullabye, sung to calm a baby or put it to sleep. There are many different forms of lullabye in Anatolia, falling into a host of genres. For this reason, the subjects of Anatolian lullabyes are not necessarily on child-related subjects, and have differing names according to their subjects and forms, ex. Ağıt Ninni (Lament lullaby), Türkü Ninni (Folk song lullaby), etc.
Nîrîz
The old name for the makam Nikrîz used in Turkish Classical Music.
Niseb-i Şerife
The collective name for several octaves, fifths and fourths within the octave.
Nîşâbûr
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Kürdî tetrachord transposed to hüseynî (Mi/E), a Çargâh tetrachord transposed to acem (Fa/F) and a Bûselik scale transposed to nevâ (Re/D) to the Nîsâbûr tetrachord on bûselik (Si/B - in its place). It is ascending in character. Its tonic is bûselik (Si/B), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Kürdî on hüseynî (Mi/E), Râst on dügâh (La/A) and Pençgâh on râst (Sol/G), as well as the note nîm hicâz.
Nîşâbûrek
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Bûselik tetrachord on hüseynî (Mi/E), a Râst tetrachord also on hüseynî (Mi/E) and a Nîsâbûr tetrachord on bûselik (Si/B - in its place) to a Râst pentachord transposed to dügâh (La/A). It is descending-ascending in character. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A), and its dominant is hüseynî (Mi/E). It suspended cadences are the flavors Nîsâbûr on bûselik (Si/B - in its place), Râst on hüseynî (Mi/E) and Râst on hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E).
Nîşâbûr Üçlüsü
In Turkish Classical Music, a çeşni (flavor) composed of a small trichord.
Nîşâpûr
See Nîşâbûr.
Nîşâverek
Another name for the makam Nîşâbûr used in some edvârs.
Niyâz
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, created by Abdülbâki Nâsır Dede. It is formed by adding the makam Isfahân to the makam Hicâz on dügâh (La/A - in its place). Its tonic is dügâh (La/A).
Noksan Durgu
A half cadence. See Durgu.
Nûşin-Gül
A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.
Nutk-ı Darb
A Turkish Classical Music term used until recently for a half note rest.
Nutuk
The term for reading the lyrics of a Bektashi nefes rather than singing them.
Nühüft
A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding an Uşşâk tetrachord transposed to aşîrân (Fa/F) to the makam Yegâh. Its tonic is aşîrân, and its dominants are nevâ (Re/D) and dügâh (La/A). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Segâh and Ferahnâk on evc (Fa/F five komas sharp), Bûselik on nevâ (Re/D), Çargâh on çargâh (Do/C), Segâh and Ferahnâk on segâh (Si/B one koma flat - in its place), Uşşâk and Râst on dügâh (La/A) and Râst on yegâh (Re/D).
Nühüft-Hicâz
A variant on the makam Nühüft once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.
Nühüft-Kadîm
A variant on the makam Nühüft once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.