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Miras-ı Saz

Lesson 2 / 19 · Fundamentals

Perde (pitch)

A sound of a specific pitch and its name; in makam music every pitch has its own name, such as Rast, Dügah or Segah. The same word is also used for the frets on fretted instruments that mark where the finger presses.

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Lesson notes

Related concepts

  • Tam perde (main pitch): The pitches that make up the main scale in traditional theory: Yegah, Hüseyni-aşiran, Irak, Rast, Dügah, Segah, Çargah, Neva, Hüseyni, Eviç, Gerdaniye, Muhayyer and so on. The pitches that fall between them are called ara perde (in-between pitches).
  • Ara perde (in-between pitch): The pitches that fall between the main pitches; Kürdi, Buselik, Hicaz, Hisar, Acem and Mahur are examples. Much of a makam's distinctive color comes from the use of these pitches.
  • Perde bağı (fret): A tie fixed on the neck of fretted instruments that marks where the finger should press. It is found on the tanbur and bağlama; the oud and cümbüş are fretless.