The Melody Web what each genre heard, and what it passed on

heard passed on Click or tap a node to recenter. Use a connecting line, or Influence, for the story.

Heard

Persian court music tradition · 6th century–16th century

Ottoman makam takes Persian court music’s modal path, professional singer-lutenist, and suite thinking and recodes them as Istanbul court and Mevlevi practice.

Influence

Turkish makam

tradition · 15th century–

Also called Ottoman makam, Turkish art music

Ottoman and later Turkish art-music modal system: makam as path and phrase, usul as cycle, court and Mevlevi rooms (peşrev, taksim, beste). It hears Persian court music for the Persianate court-suite job recoded in Istanbul. It gives Rebetiko the café-modal path recoded as Greek urban song and Arabesk the gazel-and-path job recoded as mass lament. Arabic maqam leftover as a related sibling, not a parent. Mehter leftover as a military-band neighbor already filed. Fasıl leftover as a suite name on this node. Empty extra Received is historically checked.

Listen

  1. Bayati peşrev Ottoman court tradition (18th century) YouTube
  2. Rast taksim Neyzen Tevfik / court tradition (early 20th century) YouTube
  3. Segâh beste Itri / Ottoman art-music tradition (17th–18th century)
  4. Hicaz yürük semai Ottoman court suite (18th century)
  5. Ferahfeza peşrev Tanburi Cemil Bey (early 20th century) YouTube

Passed on

Arabesk genre · 1960–

Arabesk takes Turkish makam’s modal path and gazel job and recodes them as a mass lament song for film and cassette.

Influence
Rebetiko genre · 1900–

Rebetiko takes Turkish makam’s café-modal path — seyr, taxim/taksim, usul-adjacent dance types — and recodes it as Greek urban song with bouzouki.

Influence

Persian court music → Turkish makam

melodyform and structurefunction and contextstrength: highscholarly consensus1450–1700patronageoralpedagogy

Mechanism

Ottoman makam takes Persian court music’s modal path, professional singer-lutenist, and suite thinking and recodes them as Istanbul court and Mevlevi practice. Strength high. persian court music arabic maqam is the Abbasid hop; this edge is the Ottoman art-music hop. Arabic maqam leftover as a sibling, not this parent.

Evidence

Ottoman peşrev–beste–taksim against Persianate court suite accounts; Grove on Turkish makam’s Persianate court parent.

Debate

Whether Ottoman makam is already Arabic maqam. The Arabic family stays Arabic maqam; the named Turkish/Ottoman art-music school is the recoding of the Persianate court job.

Mediators

community: Ottoman court and Mevlevi lodges

Turkish makam → Arabesk

melodyperformance practicefunction and contextstrength: highscholarly consensus1966–1985recordingradio

Mechanism

Arabesk takes Turkish makam’s modal path and gazel job and recodes them as a mass lament song for film and cassette. Strength high. Egyptian film song leftover as a neighboring popular parent not drawn on this edge.

Evidence

Gencebay and Gürses as the named 1970s–80s hinge from art-music makam into arabesk (Grove).

Debate

Whether arabesk simply is makam with strings. The court/Mevlevi path is makam’s; the named migrant popular school is the recoding.

Mediators

artist: Orhan Gencebay; artist: Müslüm Gürses

Turkish makam → Rebetiko

melodymeter and grooveperformance practicestrength: highscholarly consensus1900–1936oralrecordingmigration

Mechanism

Rebetiko takes Turkish makam’s café-modal path — seyr, taxim/taksim, usul-adjacent dance types — and recodes it as Greek urban song with bouzouki. Strength high. Arabic maqam leftover as a sibling modal system, not this Ottoman café hop. Greek folk leftover as a mainland sibling, not a parent here.

Evidence

Smyrna–Piraeus records and Vamvakaris-era café song keeping makam-colored modes (Grove).

Debate

Whether rebetiko simply is Greek folk. The café-modal grammar is Ottoman makam’s; the named Piraeus/Smyrna song school is the recoding.

Mediators

community: Smyrna and Piraeus café musicians; artist: Markos Vamvakaris