According to historical data, Turkish Music is based on Middle Asia Turkish Music Culture.This development was revealed by Turkish scientists and music theoreticians such as Farabî (870-950), İbni Sîna(980-1037) and Safiüddîn Abd'ül Mü'min Urmevi (1224-1294) and in the following periods, scientist and composers brought about new developments in the theoretical structure, form, melody and rhyhme.
Important figures in the history of Turkish Music;
Abdülkadir Meragi (the beginning of classical period),
Itri (Classical period),
İsmail Dede Efendi (Neoclassical period),
Hacı Arif Bey (Romantic period),
Rauf Yekta Bey -
Hüseyin Sadeddin Arel - Dr. Subhi Ezgi (The onset of modern period).
Definitions;
Makam is a term expressing various characteristics of a musical piece such as key signature (Turkish "donanım"), dominant tone (Turkish "güçlü"), leading tone (Turkish "yeden") and route (Turkish "seyir"). Melody formed by this scale expresses or inspires a mood depending on characteristics of the makam.
Key signature (Turkish "donanım"); expresses the change signs such as sharp, flat, comma flat, comma sharp put on notes.
Final tone (Turkish "karar"); is finish tone of a musical piece, it is usuallly the first tone in scale.
Dominant tone (Turkish "güçlü");is the common tone of pentachords, tetrachords forming the makam.
Route (Turkish "seyir"); is the use of notes in the scale as rising, falling or rising falling.
Leading tone (Turkish "yeden"); is the tone used before final tone.
Tonic (Turkish "asma karar-yarım karar"); is the tone where musical work has a pseudo-final, it appears to end there, but continues until final tone.
Pentachords, Tetrachord;
In Sufi Music makams are formed by the addition of pentachords-tetrachord to each other. Usually first four tones of pentachords forms tetrachord and first three tones form çeşni.
Commonly used Pentachords, Tetrachord;
Çargah dörtlüsü
Çargah beşlisi
Buselik dörtlüsü
,Buselik beşlisi
Uşşak dörtlüsü,
,Hüseyni beşlisi
Kürdi dortlusu
,Kürdi beşlisi,
Rast dörtlüsü
Rast beşlisi,
And other Pentachords, Tetrachord;
Hicaz beşlisi,
Saba dörtlüsü,
Segah beşlisi,
Müstear beşlisi,
Hüzzam beşlisi,
Nikriz beşlisi,
Pençgah beşlisi,
Ferahnak beşlisi,
Nişabur beşlisi,
Usül (pattern); is the term expressing the rhytmical structure of the composition i.e. which darbs are strong and which are weak or how many darb it is composed of.