Drone
A sound that plays continuously on the pitch you choose, to keep the tonic in your ear while you practice a makam.
If you also want the usul along with the makam's scale, try the practice backing track.
Add it to your home screen as a separate app: opens with one tap and works offline too. Free.
What is a drone (dem)?
A dem is a steady sound heard continuously in the background while you practice (a drone). Practicing scales over a drone on the makam's tonic trains you to hear each perde's interval to the tonic and to play the perdes in tune (intonation). The drone plays continuously on any perde and octave you choose, with comma-precise fine tuning, in a ney, bowed or plain timbre; when you choose a makam it moves to the tonic automatically.
Related: Dem (drone)Karar (tonic)Practice backing trackIntonation mirror
Frequently asked questions
How do I practice with a drone?
Choose the makam; the drone starts on the tonic. Go slowly up and down the scale and listen to each perde together with the drone: a perde played in tune forms a clean interval with the drone, while an out-of-tune one produces audible beating.
Can I switch between the tonic and the dominant?
Yes. With the Tonic and Dominant buttons the drone glides between the makam's two main perdes; this way you can also practice resting on the dominant (güçlü) while working on the seyir.
Which instruments is the drone suitable for?
It suits any instrument or voice that forms its own pitches: ney, violin, kemençe, oud, tanbur and the human voice. On the kanun it is also used to check the mandal settings by ear.