WRITING THE TURKISH MUSIC

By Enver Mete Aslan

When I go abroad, the very first thing I do is visiting bookstores and music stores. The music stores I visit, even though they do not have the instruments I am interested in, suit me fine as far as the instruments and accessories are exhibited with diversity. I always think that if only I played a western-based instrument, I could have found many handy things such as music boxes, different kind of cords, accessories for string instruments, guitar hangers and picks. When it comes to the instruments of classical Turkish music though, the variety which reigns on western instruments and their auxiliaries becomes truly non-existent. It would not be bad if various brands produced picks for tamburs and ouds or there were plenty of kamancheh strings.

I want to point out the abundance of written sources when it comes to polyphonic music. This is something that always draws my attention during foreign trips. I wish to elaborate the topic within the context of my desire which is the necessity of urgent conversation between academics and performers to build an internationally-accepted written concept for the Turkish music.

Writing and recording the sources of the Turkish music is undoubtedly crucial for the continuation of this art and handing it down to the next generations. What I mean by recording is not playing music but the preservation of the science of music in order to be able to be handed down to the next generations. As you are aware of the fact that, one of our biggest deficiencies is the idea of neglecting the writing of music and putting forward its performing. However, the humanity does not think with the same way as we do. Our ancestors’ putting “The palest ink is stronger than the sharpest memory” is highly accurate. Speaking for my own field, we have fairly sufficient sources for oud. If someone wants to work on oud there are plenty of sources such as of Ali Salahi Bey, Cinuçen Tanrıkorur, Mutlu Torun and Kadri Şençalar. I am of the opinion that to provide a world-class position to Turkish music in terms of sources, thorough work is a necessity.

My first book: Oud Exercises

My first book was published by Pan Publishing House in 2011 with the title of “Oud Exercises – Technical Studies” in which I analysed my previously-stated position over written sources. Apart from its benefit as a book, it was also a source by means of which I was able to teach my favourite academic method. It was prepared in English and Turkish. The reader was given the chance to read and compare the context in two languages. Practices and surveys had titles in both languages and it ensured a different perspective for the readers. For instance, a learner could have an idea for some issues that occupy the international field such as: with which method explaining of a tremolo work in Acemasiran maqam could be possible. In “Oud Exercises” I tried to explain the techniques in detail. Right-hand, left-hand, glissando, grace notes, interval, ranks scales and many other universal music techniques were included into the book. In the last chapter there were also some polyphonic songs and compositions for 2, 3 and 4 oud.

“Revealing sounds from texts and texts from sounds is the real merit”`

When the book came to light, we had also managed to proceed with the explaining of our musical values which had been transmitted for centuries from mouth to mouth through practices. By doing that we never left the context of the modern world rules and we did not alter anything from their originality. Subsequent to my completing the process I felt that academic studies and practice systems must be inseparably integrated in the Turkish music. “Revealing sounds from texts and texts from sounds is the real merit.”

The second book: “Maqam Ranks Scales For Oud”

Beginning to the writing process of my second book, I decided to analyse every chapter of the first book. Thanks to my fund of knowledge, I scrutinise the index of the book item by item. My new study came to existence with the thought that by working on every item, I could have been able to bring out detailed items. I put down on paper the maqam ranks scales with a unique method with which students must look at them. Like the first book, “Maqam ranks scales for oud” were prepared in Turkish and English. It was released to the market in 2018. The book which illuminates only the maqam ranks scales, comprises 160 practices on the basis of 10 maqams. The first five had to do with dugah frets. The second five maqams, nonetheless, were determined as rast frets. Details such as ascending and descending scales of these ten maqams in one or two musical octaves or during performance which fingers must be used, during the preparation of the book they all were specified. In addition to that, to accelerate student’s work, these matters were exemplified on company with metronome. The glazing of these 10 maqams were edited from easy to difficult and it was formed attentively in an effort to make using of all frets of the tuner possible. As I expressed in the beginning, these systems were nothing but a trial to canalise the teaching of Turkish music and its instruments from mouth to mouth practices to an academic methodology. The guidance of my beloved master, Prof. Dr. Mutlu Torun which assisted me with full of scientific perspective and rationality was crucial for me.

By the way, by favour of this article I announce that I have begun the writing process of my new book “Tone Studies for Oud.”

 “The Istanbul-Lute Method”

The lessons of The Istanbul Lute which began in 2009 in Haliç University and the hardships during this process prompted me to build a methodology for how to play a lute. Unlike my previous books which were about specific issues, The Istanbul-Lute Method came as a teaching methodology book. My lectures in Haliç University until 2013, in Istanbul Technical University between 2013-2016 and my ongoing lute works in Kocaeli University provided me experience to complete the book. As of March 2020, the method has almost been completed and it is available for final retouchs.

In order to to make The Istanbul Lute Method (politiko laouto) find its way into the internationally-qualified editions, I carefully laboured the points of internationally-recognised music language, the history of lute, its performers’ history and details for them, pictorial presentations, music theory, enrichments and technical expressons. Again, the most important part of the book was “The Istanbul Lute Tone.” Instead of explaining the holding positions of the lute method with visual elements, I opted for charcoal drawings. The drawings were made by a substantial painter and music lover Erol Efir.

In short, as I tried to explain in this article, I had to find a way to write a modelling. Maybe there is no an exact measure yet but I tried to write, I must have done it. 

I wish the perseverance for writing of Turkish music will never come to an end considering the fact that there are innumerable works that vanished during last 600 years owing to the fact that nothing had been written about them.

Enver Mete Aslan / Photographed by Esra ASLAN