Applied
Repertoire
Analysis of specific compositions, taksim traditions, usul, and performance recordings.
- 01Usul and Iqa: Rhythmic Cycles in Ottoman and Arabic MusicAn introduction to usul, the cyclical rhythmic system of Turkish classical music, and its Arabic counterpart iqa — how they differ from Western meter, the dum/tek stroke vocabulary, common patterns, and their relationship to musical form.
- 02Reading Turkish Makam Notation: A Practical GuideHow to read Turkish makam scores — the AEU accidentals, Holdrian comma positions, key signatures, usul markings, and where to find printed music.
- 03Taksim: The Art of Modal ImprovisationAn introduction to taksim, the unmetered solo improvisation that is central to Turkish, Arabic, and Eastern Mediterranean music — how it follows the seyir, its role in the fasil suite, modulation within taksim, the Arabic taqasim tradition, and the balance between freedom and structure.
- 04The Peşrev: Anatomy of a Makam CompositionA guide to analyzing Turkish makam compositions through the peşrev — the instrumental form that most clearly demonstrates how makam structure, seyir, modulation (geçki), and usul manifest in composed music.
- 05Persian Classical Performance: The Architecture of a ConcertHow a Persian classical music performance unfolds — from the composed pishdaramad through improvised avaz to the closing reng — and how the radif framework shapes every musician's journey through a dastgah.
- 06Romani Musicians in Ottoman and Turkish MusicThe historical role of Romani (Roma) musicians as professional performers and transmitters of Ottoman and Turkish modal traditions — the Sulukule tradition, Roman havasi, the clarinet lineage, contributions to fasil ensembles, and the tension between cultural centrality and social marginalization.
- 07Essential Recordings of Turkish Classical MusicA guide to the recordings that define Turkish classical music — from Tanburi Cemil Bey's pioneering 78 RPM discs through the golden age of Istanbul Radio to the instrumental masters and modern projects preserving the tradition.
- 08Essential Recordings: A Guide to Persian Classical MusicA curated listening guide to Persian dastgah recordings — from the radif masters of the early 20th century through the concert artists who shaped the modern tradition, organized by instrument and dastgah.
- 09The Şarkı: Ottoman Song FormHow the strophic şarkı form rose from 19th-century salon music to become the dominant vehicle for Turkish art song — its structure, the role of Hacı Arif Bey, and its relationship to the older beste and semai traditions.
- 10Persian Vocal Forms: Avaz, Tasnif, and PishdaramadThe vocal and composed forms of Persian classical music — how the improvised avaz, the composed tasnif, and the instrumental pishdaramad create the architecture of a traditional concert.