Sipos, János

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János Sipos Is it possible to use the makam conception in analyzing and classifying vocal monophonic folk music material?  I feel it a privilege to be invited in your beautiful country, which I had visited several times before, doing also field work and collecting many hundreds of folksongs. I also published a book on the Azeri Folksongs in English and in Azerbaijan language as well. i My Azerbaijan expeditions were a part of a large comparative ethnomusicology project beginning with Béla Bartók’s Anatolian research in 1936, continued by László Vikár and Gábor Bereczky Hungarian ethnomusicologist-linguist pair in the Volga-Kama region between 1957-1978, and from 1987 till our days continued by myself among Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Karachay, Turkmen, Mongolian and North-American Indian people. Being a researcher of rural folk music, the makam system is somehow outside of my main interest, though this artistic phenomenon has several stronger or weaker connections to the folk music. This fact gave me the idea to investigate if it is possible to use the makam conception in analyzing and classifying vocal monophonic folk music material? Makams were originally folk songs, which were lately typified, and this way they became teachable and learnable. ii Gradually they separated from the older styles of the nomadic and rural music,iii but preserved an important characteristic of it music: they vary a few basic musical components according to some more or less defined rules. Folk music lives in variants, in the variations of relatively few basic musical forms. One important task of the ethnomusicologists might be to find these basic forms by analyzing and classifying the material. And he is tempted to find out the rules too, which direct the variation of these forms and generate melodies accepted by a community as valid and authentic. In this general level it works similarly to the makam system. Also we may ask with reason: is it possible to use the technique of describing and defining makams to define the central melodies of a given folk music and also grouping melodies belonging to these central melodies, that is to classify a folk song material? As an example, let us start with the popular ascending-descending Hüseynî makam of the Türk Sanat Musikisi (TSM = Turkish Art Music). iv This makam shares several common characteristics with some important Turkish folk song types. v  Let us enumerate the general characteristics of this makam, and try to find out if we can use them in classifying Turkish folk songs. Meanwhile we keep our eyes on the similarities and differences between the TSM and Türk Halk Müziği (THM = Turkish Folk Music) as well. 2      Scales and microtones. In general we might say that the microtone system of the TSM is much more elaborated than that of the THM; though in some performances the intonation of some pitches does not correspond to the theoretical regulation of the TSM as well. vi  The basic difference between the Hüseynî makam of the THM and the TSM is as follows: while in TSM the intonation of the microtones are vital for the makam, a performer of a folk Hüseynî melody does not sing or play the 2nd and 6th degree of the scale on an exact pitch, rather we experience a quite great freedom in intonation - a greater tolerance-level in pitch. vii Consequently we may put Turkish folk songs moving on different (but „brother”) scales into the same music group, if their other characteristics are similar. For example while classifying Turkish folk songs we may put Hüseynî (with F) and Bayatî (with F#) melodies into the same melody class.  Hüseynî of TSM Dügâh Segâh (b1) Çargâh Nevâ Hüseynî Acem/Eviçviii Gerdaniye Muhayyer Hüseynî of THM A B2 / B3 C D E F#4/F  G A’ absolute sol-fa  la si bemol  (2/3 koma) do re mi fa diyez  (4 koma) sol la  The scale of the Hüseynî makam of the THM  Melodic direction.ix We can use melodic direction as the main principle in the classification of the Turkish folk songs. For example the 1st and the 4th sections of the ascending (T-D-T) Uşşak melodies of the THM moves low, while their 2nd and the 3rd sections are higher. This kind of melodic movement separates these melodies from the descending majority of the Turkish folk songs, and at the same time this structural similarity knit them together. x (ex.1) 3      Example 1. An Uşşak-like Bektashi melody  Seyir. A detailed yet generalized exposition of the melody progression of a given makam is called seyir (path). These expositions actually serve only as mnemonic for the experts, though the modern notated seyir is an invaluable source for characterizing a makam.xi  Let us see a description of the Hüseynî makam of TSM. The makam starts around E (dominant). xii The essence of its çeşni (flavor, taste) is that it uses E abundantly and persistently, and makes a melody stop (duruş) on it. Then it might go up to B’ or even D’ and descends to E again. From here it descends further to the finalis (A), using now F# instead of F. xiii The Çargâh (C) and Segâh (B) sounds are important melody stops (asma karar).  However in contrast to this description above, the concrete melodic progression of the Hüseynî makam in the TSM can be very different. In ex. 2 I show two Hüseynî melodies with quite dissimilar melodic progression. 4          Example 2. Two Hüseynî makams with dissimilar melodic lines a)  Signel - example 19.2, b) Hüseynî    The melodic progression of the Hüseynî makam described above is popular in THM as well. However, in THM the exact intonation of the pitches has less importance, and if we want to bring similar melodies close to each other, we have to specify the melodic line more precisely. To do so we will give greater importance to the melody stops. Melody stops are tonal centers, and when the melody stops on one of these, a sense of comparative rest is imparted. As we have already mentioned, there are several melodies in THM which are descending on the Hüseynî scale, and are obeying to the general rules of the Hüseynî makam of TSM. In these melodies some melody stops play important role. The first section of these melodies end on E, the second one on C, and the third one usually on C, but sometime on B or A. We have seen melody stops in the description of the Hüseynî makam of the TSM as well. The main difference is that while in the Hüseynî makam of the TSM the C and B melody stops do not always play an important role, these stops are determinant element of the melodic line of the „folk” Hüseynî makam. (ex.3a) Melody stops Hüseynî „folk” Hüseynî Entry (giriş)xiv E E Dominant (güçlü) xv E E Temporary stops (muvakkat kalışlar) xvi   (C, B1) C, B2 Finalis or tonic (karar) A A  Example 3a Melody stops of the Hüseynî makam in THM and in TSM 5      Other differences between Hüseynî and Folk Hüseynî are that the structure of the Hüseynî makam of the TSM might be much more complex, and the ambitus may expand beyond the fundamental one-octave compass scale.  Hüseynî of TSM Folk Hüseynî Structure might be complex 2 or 4 sectionsxvii Ambitus  may extend beyond the one-octave scalexviii maximum one octave (except bozlak)  Compound makam Exists None Transposition Exists None Leading tone  Frequent Rare Suspended cad. Frequent Rare Embellishment long and elaborated melismas on several syllables Simpler melismas if any (except bozlak)  Example 3b Melody stops of the Hüseynî makam i THM and in TSM  Now let us define the folk Hüseynî melody group (or folk makam) as one of the important melody class of the THM. (ex. 3c)  Scale A - b2B - C – D - E - (#4)F – G Melodic direction  ascending-descending and there is a twin Muhayyer-like descending melody group    Seyir and melody stops 1st section Makes its entry around E (dominant), uses E abundantly and persistently and makes a melody stop (duruş) on it.  2nd section From E it descends to C (second temporary stop) 3rd section Is similar to the second section but may end on C, B or A (third temporary stop) 4th section Descends to the finalis A (karar)  Example 3c The definition of the “folk” Hüseynî makam  Other important feature of these melodies is the conjunct melodic progression.xix In example 4 we see some representatives of this folk song group.  ambitus 7-syllabic 8-syllabic 11-syllabic Smaller № 82 (giusto)  №83 (parlando) №96 (parlando)   Larger №80 (giusto) №90 (parlando) №101 (parlando)  6       7 syllables, smaller ambitus  7 syllables, larger ambitus  8 syllables, smaller ambitus  8 syllables, larger ambitus  11 syllables, smaller ambitus  11syllables, larger ambitus  Example 4. Examples of  the Folk Hüseynî melody group of the THM  with  different  section length and ambitus     7     In the THM there can be found very similar melodic movements on different scales as well. In ex. 5 I show a melody moving on Hüseynî scale and its major-like (Çargâh) variant.   Example 5. Similar seyir on different scales a) THM Hüseynî melody (Bektasi 368) and its  b)Major-like (Çargâh) variant (Bektasi 391)  Similar melodies can also be found in the folk music of some other Turkic people and in that of the Hungarians. xx There are a few species in Azerbaijan folk music as well, as we see in ex.6.  Example 6. A similar Azerbaijan melody (Sipos 2004: № 293)  8      Summary. TSM and THM represent quite different musical world, so it is no wonder that their makam definitions differs as well. The essence of the difference is that the role of the microtones will be less important in THM as in TSM. We can say that in THM the scales are less important in grouping similar melodies, while the role of the melody stops and the melodic progression is more prominent. As we have seen with some modifications the makam conception may be used in classifying THM.    Literature Signel, Karl (2004), Makam - Modal Practice in Turkish Art Music. foreword by Bruno Nettl, Usul Edition, Punta Gorda FL  Sipos, János (2000), In the wake of Bartók. Budapest, Balassi Publishing House Sipos, János (2004), Azeri folksongs. At the Fountain-Head of Music. Budapest, Academy Publishing House  Sipos, János (2006), Azerbaycan El Havaları - Musiqinin İlk Qaynaqlarında. Baku Szabolcsi, Bence (1949), Írott hagyomány - élő hagyomány, Makam-elv a népi és művészi zenében, Ethnographia LX, Budapest Szabolcsi, Bence (1965), A melódia története (History of the Melody), Budapest Yekta, Rauf (1921), La musique turque, In. Encyclopédie de la musique et dictionnaire du conservatoire, Vol. V, Fondateur Albert Lavignac. Directeur Lionel de la Laurencie, Paris (1921: 2997-3010)     Endnotes                                                     i  Sipos (2004, 2006)  ii See Also Brockhouse-Riemann Music Lexicon G-N, p. 473. Lachmann and Idelsohn derive the makam practice from the pre-Islamic era, when (and after) the urban Arab culture gave the melodies of the different local tribal tunes distinctive names. Arabic art music practice has taken over Persian, Bedouin urban and rural melodies under their names. Many makam refer to geographic areas, for example Hijaz, Iraq, Ispahan, Acem or Nahavand. The Greeks also called certain melody styles by ethnic names: Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Aeolian, etc. Szabolcsi (1957)  iii With the western expansion of the Islam they move away from the Persian ideas, although partly used the terminology and teaching methods. 9                                                                                                                                                                iv The earliest works of the TSM are indistinguishable from Arabic model, but with the unfolding of the Ottoman history gradually develops an art music distinctly of Turkish nature. (Signel 2004: 6). Its first description in European languages is Rauf Yekta (1921) in the Lavignac Encyclopedia. v Hüseynî can be considered the ascending-descending version of Muhayyer with the same scale, finalis and dominant. The main difference is that Muhayyer makes its entry on the upper tonic while Hüseynî around the dominant. Uşşak and Bayatı makams are very closely related to the Hüseynî–Muhayyer pair and these four makam should be considered as belonging to the same „family”. The main distinction between the first pair and the second pair of makam (aside the melodic directions) is the sixth degree, Acem (f-natural) in the former and Eviç (=F sharp) in the latter. What is more the pitch Eviç appears only in the first part of the progression of Hüseynî and Muhayyer, and the f# is flatted one comma during a cadence on E.  vi Signel (2004: 38) vii Food for thought, for example that the Arabs intonated the Segâh and Sabâ much lower than it is usual in Turkey (Signel 2004:44). In contrast, the Turkish ezan (call to prayer) sounds often with "Arabic intonation". Interestingly, in the case of the Turkish nightclub-style performances of the Hicaz makam C# is lower and Bb is higher then in the classical music, but similarly to the folk music. The transcribers of the THM melodies use the signs b2 and #4  for the 2nd and 6th degrees of the folk Hüseynî scale, referring to the modifications downward by 2 commas or upward by 4 commas. However this is more of a consensus as an exact mirror of the reality. viii Uşşak–Bayatı: Acem (F), Hüseynî–Muhayyer: Eviç (F#) ix Ascending-descending (Dominant-Dominant-Tonic, e.g. Hüseynî), descending (upper Tonic- Dominant-Tonic, e.g. Muhayyer) or ascending (Tonic-Dominant-Tonic, e.g. Uşşak). x In THM it is easy to separate the ascending-descending Hüseynî (D-D-T) melodies from the descending Muhayyer (T’-D-T) ones, though sometimes we may find descending variants of ascending-descending melodies ad well. In the case of the Hüseynî and Muhayyer the same are the scale, the Dominant (E) and the Tonic (A) but different is the melodic direction. xi See the thirty example of Rauf Yekta: La musique turque, In. Encyclopédie de la musique et dictionnaire du conservatoire, Vol. V, Fondateur Albert Lavignac. Directeur Lionel de la Laurencie, Paris (1921: 2997-3010)   xii Muhayyer makam can be considered a descending version of Hüseynî, starting around A’ instead of E. xiii  Today in Turkey almost all classical composition of the Türk Sanat Musikisi are performed from written notation. On one hand, the universality of notation has greatly broadened the repertoire; on the other, precious qualities of the old oral tradition have almost disappeared, especially the concept of the melodic line (Signel 2004:3). Besides a notated seyir is only a concrete form of a rich tradition and a composer may compose quite different melodic progressions (seyir) under the same makam name (Signel 204: ex.25-27). xiv  The tonal centre around which the first musical phrase revolves. xv The main tonal centre midway between the entry tone and the finalis. Most often a fifth or a fourth above the tonic. 10                                                                                                                                                                xvi Many of the unique qualities of the makam are found in the characteristic temporary stops in its progression. These are vivid details without which the progression would lose its individuality. xvii Rarely also refrains may be inserted. xviii The direction of the extension is related to the melody direction: descending makams usually extend the scale below the tonic. xix It means that the most frequent intervals are prime, second and rarely the third. Larger intervals can be observed only at the beginning and at the end of the sections, or can be heard between the last tone of a sections and the first tone of the next one. The syllabic number of the sections might be 6, 7, 8, or 11, and the most characteristic rhythmic formulas are as follows: 6 (+ > @@), 7 (+ > &@), 8 (+ > +) and 11 (+@@> +@ or +> +> &@). xx  Sipos (2000)       

Is it possible to use the maqam conception in analyzing and classifying vocal monophonic folk music material?

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