TURKISH MUSIC DICTIONARY

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U V Y Z

Râhat-Fezâ

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed bhy adding the Hüseynî pentachord transposed to hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E) to the makam Hümâyûn, Hicâz or Uzzâl. Its tonic is hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E), and its dominats are nevâ (Re/E), hüseynî (Mi/E) and dügâh (La/A). Whichever of the two pitches is dominant, the other serves as a suspended cadence. The makam is descending in character. Its suspended cadences are the notes nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp) and dik kürdî (Si/B four komas flat), and the flavors Nikrîz on râst (Sol/G - in its place), Hüzzâm on ırâk (Fa/F four komas sharp) and Râst on yegâh (Re/D); as well as the Ferahnâk tetrachord on ırâk.

Rahat'ül-Ervâh

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. It is formed by adding a Segâh tetrachord (See Segâh tetrachord) transposed to irâk (Fa/F sharp) to the scale of the makam Hümâyûn, Hicâz or Uzzâl on dügâh (La/A). It is descending in character. Its tonic is dügâh (La/A) and its dominants are nevâ (Re/D) and hüseynî (Mi/E). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Râst or Bûselik on nevâ, Uşşâk on hüseynî, Hicâz on dügâh (La/A - in its place), Nikrîz on râst (G/Sol - in its place) and Hüzzâm on ırâk (Fa/F four komas sharp), as well as the notes nîm hicâz (Do/C four komas sharp) and dik kürdî (Si/B four komas flat).

Râh-i Gül

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râh-i Hâr-Ken

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râh-i Hâr-Keş

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râh-i Husrevânî

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râh-i Kürd

A 44-beat major usûl once used in Turkish Classical Music.

Râh-i Rûh

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.

Rakkas

A dancer, a dancing man, a köçek.

Rakkâse

A professional female dancer.

Raks

Dance.

Raks (Bektâşî Raksı)

A 16-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music. It is composed of two measures of Türk Aksağı, and one each of Sofyân and Nîm Sofyân. This usûl occurs only in one Bektashi nefes in the makam Hücâzî Uşşâk.

Raks Aksağı

A 9-beat minor usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, composed of a combination of the Türk Aksağı and Sofyân usûls. It is used mainly in the şarkı, türkü and oyun havası forms.

Raksân

A 15-beat usûl used in Turkish Classical Music. There are two variants: The first is a combination of one cycle of Semâî, Türk Aksağı, Sofyân and one more of Semâî; and the second is a combination of the second form of Türk Aksağı and the usûl Aksak Semâî. They have been used in Bektashi nefes, türkü and folk music.

Raksiyye

A genre of vocal or instrumental music within Turkish Classical Music, used for dancing.

Raks-Semâî

An 18-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music. It was created by İsmail Hakkı Bey and was used in only two pieces.

Râmiş-Huvâr

An old makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.

Râmiş-i Cân

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.

Râsim

In Turkish Classical Music, the term for a group of makams.

Râst

1. In Turkish Classical Music, the name of the note Sol/G in the middle octave.
2. A simple makam used in Turkish Classical Music. One of the oldest of the makams, it is formed by adding a Râst tetrachord transposed to nevâ (Re/D) to a Râst pentachord on râst (Sol/G - in its place). It is descending in character. Its dominant is râst, and its jdominant is nevâ (Re/D). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Uşşâk on dügâh (La/A), Segâh on segâh (Si/B one koma flat), Râst on yegâh (Re/D) and Uşşâk and Nişâbûr on hüseynî aşîrân (Mi/E), as well as the Ferahnâk pentachord on segâh.

Râst-Acem

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rast-Aşîrân

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music.

Râst-Gerdâniye

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râst-Geveşt

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râst-Hâverân

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding the low tetrachord of the makam Irâk to the basic Râst scale.

Râst-ı Cedîd

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music, created by Sultan Selim III. It is formed by adding the scale of the makam Râst on râst (Sol/G - in its place) to the makam Hicâz transposed to yegâh. Its tonic is râst (Sol/G), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D).

Râst-ı Rûmî

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râst-ı Sagıyr

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râst-ı Sultânî

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râst-Kürdî

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music. It was created by Kemânî Serkis by adding a Kürdî tetrachord on dügâh (in its place) to the basic scale of the makam Râst. Its tonic is dügâh, and its dominants are râst (Sol/G) and nevâ (Re/D). The only example is in Kemânî Serkis' own peşrev.

Râst-Mâye

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music.

Râst-Nevrûz

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rast Pentachord (Râst Beşlisi)

In Turkish Classical Music, a five-note scale pattern formed by adding a whole tone to the Râst tetrachord on râst (Sol/G - in its place). (See Râst Tetrachord).

Râst Tetrachord (Râst Dörtlüsü)

A four-note scale pattern based on râst (Sol/G) so as to form a perfect fourth.

Râst-Selmek

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Râst-Şehnâz

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Ravza

A five-stringed bowed instrument invented by Arapgirli Şükrüllah Bey. Although it has no relation to the instrument known as the ırızva played in Southern Anatolia, the similarity of the name is notable.

Rebâb

A long-necked stringed instrument played with a bow, the body of which was originally constructed of a coconut. It is believed to have passed from old Iranian music to old Arab music, and from there, to the entire Near East and Mediterranean. Played with a plectrum or the fingers in Iran, the rebab began to be played with a bow when it was adopted by the Arabs. There are a variety of types, having from one to five strings. One form is played in Southern Anatolia.

Rebâb-ı Nâyî

A woodwind instrument once used in Turkish Classical Music.

Rebâbî

A maker or player of the rebâb.

Redif

Rhyme. Synonymous with the ayak of âşık poetry.

Rehâvî

A makam used in Turkish Classical Music. There are two forms, one simple and one compound. The first is the makam Râst that features a Râst tetrachord on yegâh (Re/D) during its resolution. The second is the same as Râst in every way, formed by the combination of the scales of the makams Râst and Bayâtî. It is descending in character. Its tonic is râst (Sol/G), and its dominant is nevâ (Re/D).

Rehâvî-Gerdâniye

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rehâvî-Geveşt

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rehâvî-Mâye

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rehâvî-Nevrûz

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rehâvî-Selmek

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rehâvî Sesi

The name used by Kantemir in his edvâr for the note geveşt (Sol/G).

Rehâvî-Şehnâz

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rekb

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rekb-i Nevrûz

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rekb-i Zâvil

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music.

Remel

A 28-beat major usûl used in Turkish Classical Music, formed of the combination of one cycle each of Sofyân, Sengîn Semâî, Sofyân, Sengîn Semâî and two more of Sofyân. It is used in peşreves and bestes.

Remel-i Hafîf

A light form of the usûl Remel. See Remel.

Remel-i Kasıyr

A variant of the usûl Remel used in Turkish Classical Music.

Remel-i Sakıyl

See Remel.

Remel-i Tavîl

A variant of the usûl Remel used in Turkish Classical Music.

Remel-i Türkî

See Remel.

Reng-i Dil

A makam used in Turkish Classical Music. Some theoreticians consider it to be a transposed (şed) makam. It was created by Mühendis Hâlis Bey by transposing the makam Nev'eser to acem-aşîrân (Fa/F). Its tonic is acem aşîran, and its dominant is çargâh.

Revân

A 9-beat minor usûl used in Turkish Classical Music.

Revnâk-Nümâ

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding either the entire scale or the low tetrachord of the makam Irâk to the scale of the makam Müstear. Its tonic is ırâk (Fa/F four komas sharp) and its dominants are segâh (Si/B one koma flat) and dügâh (La/A).

Rıdvân

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Ridâyî

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rikâb

A 32-beat major usûl once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rîku'l-Habîb

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rûh

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rûh-Efzâ

1. A stringed instrument once used in Turkish Classical Music.
2. A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rûhnevâz (=Rûhnüvaz)

A makam used in Turkish Classical Music, defined by some theoreticians as a transposed (şed) makam. It was created by Dr. Suphi Ezgi by transposing the basic scale of the makam Bûselik to hüseynî aşîran (Mi/E). Its tonic is hüseynî aşîrân, and its dominant is bûselik (Si/B). It is ascending and descending in character.

Rûy-i Aşîrân

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present.

Rûy-i Dilârâ

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music.

Rûy-i Hicâz

A compound makam once used in Turkish Classical Music. No examples have survived to the present

Rûy-i Irâk

A compound makam used in Turkish Classical Music, formed by adding a Segâh tetrachord transposed to ırâk (Fa/F sharp) to the scale of the makam Segâh. It is ascending in character. Its tonic is ırâk (Fa/F four komas sharp) and its dominants are segâh (Si/B one koma flat), dügâh (La/A) and nevâ (Re/D). Its suspended cadences are the flavors Bûselik and Uşşâk on nevâ, Segâh or Ferahnâk on dik hisâr (Mi/E one koma flat) and Râst on çargâh (Do/C).

Ruzba

See Irızva.