Skip to content
Miras-ı Saz

Makam music tools

Free tools to help while you practice makam music: rhythm, tuning, pitch and makam calculations, printable manuscript paper.

Rhythm

MetronomeA classic metronome with pendulum and weight; choose the metre, accents and subdivision.App Usuls of Turkish MusicHear usuls on the kudüm: the strokes come alive from the player's view; düm with the right hand on the large drum, tek with the left on the small one.App Practice backing trackThe makam's tonic drone and the usul you choose, together: accompaniment while you practice.App Usul sequenceLine up usuls and play each for as many cycles as you like: for fasıl and peşrev practice.App Usul tapping exercisePlay the usul by tapping the düm and tek areas; your timing is measured to the millisecond.App

Tuning and sound

Comma tunerListens through the microphone; shows the nearest pitch and how many commas you're off.App DroneA continuous sound on the pitch you choose: to keep the tonic in your ear.App Intonation mirrorCompares your pitches with the makam's pitches while you play and shows how many commas you are off.App Meşk practice playerSlow a recording down without changing its pitch, loop a hard phrase, shift it to your ahenk.App

Pitch and makam

Pitch finderA pitch's name, comma position, frequency, Western note and AEÜ accidental.App Interval calculatorHow many commas between two pitches, what the interval is called (bakiye, tanini, perfect fourth…), how it sounds.App Çeşni finderPick consecutive pitches; find which tetrachord or pentachord they form and the makams that contain it.App Makam scaleA makam's scale on the staff: pitch names, intervals, tonic, dominant and kanun mandals.App 53-comma circleThe octave's 53 commas on a circle: listen to the pitches, see a makam's scale.App Makam transposition (göçürme)Moves a makam to another pitch: new pitches, accidentals, key signature and kanun mandals.App Fret calculatorDistance of each fret from the nut (mm) for your string length: AEÜ, a makam or 12-tone equal.App Tuning systemsA makam's pitches in Urmavi's 17 tones, in AEU and in 53, 72 and 12 equal divisions: a cent table, listening and a "Which tuning?" quiz.App Makam finderPlay or sing; it estimates which makam the melody is in and its tonic.App Which makam are you?Pick the melody you like in seven rounds; find the makam closest to your ear.App

Resources

Interval examplesFor each interval, works that open with it: listen to their openings and train your ear.App Melody search: which piece has this melody?Play a few notes; find the pieces in the archive that contain the melody.App Notation writerWrite notation with perde names; drawn with AEÜ accidentals; listen, download, print.App Manuscript paperA printable blank staff page (A4) and an AEÜ accidental chart.App GlossaryMakam music terms with short definitions and sound examples.App

Download as apps

Every tool and virtual instrument can be installed on your phone or computer as its own app. Tap "Install" next to the one you want, then tap "Download the app" on the page that opens. Free.

Frequently asked questions

What is an usul, and how is it different from a metronome?

An usul is the rhythmic structure of Turkish music in which strokes are ordered in a fixed pattern of düm (low and strong) and tek (high and light). In aksak usuls (e.g. 7/8 or 9/8) the beats are not of equal length. A metronome gives every beat the same click; the Usuls of Turkish Music tool plays the usul you choose with düm and tek strokes on kudüm, bendir, def, darbuka or davul.

How do I use the comma tuner?

Turn on the microphone and play a single note on your instrument. The tuner measures the frequency of the sound and shows the nearest pitch in the 53-comma system and how many commas flat or sharp you are from it. You can change the reference A frequency (440 Hz by default). The microphone sound is processed only in your browser and is never sent anywhere.

What does the çeşni finder use to suggest a makam?

It calculates the intervals between your chosen pitches in commas and compares them with the tetrachords and pentachords of Arel-Ezgi-Uzdilek theory (Rast, Uşşak, Buselik, Kürdi, Hicaz, Çargah…). It then lists the makams whose scale contains these exact pitches, followed by the makams that contain the same genus on another pitch.

What can I write with the score writer?

You write with perde names or letters (la, si-5, do+4); AEÜ accidentals, durations from whole notes to 64ths, dots and double dots, ties, triplets, grace notes, fermatas, repeats, 1st and 2nd endings, section text (Hâne, Teslim), segno and coda are supported. Choosing a makam writes its key signature. You can listen and download as MusicXML, SVG or PDF.

How does the makam finder recognise a makam, and how reliable is it?

The pitches of the melody are measured from the microphone or an audio file, and their distribution is compared with that of 20 makams derived from master performances. On a full recording the makam is right about two thirds of the time, 88% within the top three; shorter excerpts do worse. Makams without a template are matched to the closest one, so treat the result as a suggestion.

What is the drone for?

The drone (dem) is a steady sound that you hear continuously while you practice. Practicing scales over a drone held on the tonic (karar) of the makam helps you hear each pitch's interval from the tonic and improves your intonation.

Are the tools paid? Do I need to install anything?

No. All the tools run for free in your browser, and you don't need to create an account. If you like, you can add the site to your phone as an app and open it even without a connection.

Which system are the pitch names and accidentals based on?

All the tools use the Arel-Ezgi-Uzdilek (AEÜ) system, which divides the octave into 53 commas: bakiye is 4 commas, küçük mücenneb 5, büyük mücenneb 8, tanini 9. Pitch names are given taking Rast as G; as is customary, notes are written an octave higher than they sound.

How do I find which work a melody comes from?

In the melody search tool (Which piece has this melody?), play the melody you have in mind on the perde keyboard. The search looks at the intervals rather than the pitches, so it does not matter which perde you start on; works in the score archive are ranked by the longest match. Interval examples let you hear each interval through works that start with it.