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Miras-ı Saz

How does Miras-ı Saz work?

This page explains how the scores, sounds and makam information on Miras-ı Saz are prepared. Our aim is to show clearly where every result on the site comes from and how reliable it is.

Pitch system: 53 komas

  • All perdes (pitches) on the site are calculated according to Arel-Ezgi-Uzdilek (AEU) theory: the octave is divided into 53 equal komas.
  • Intervals are measured in komas: bakiye 4, küçük mücenneb 5, büyük mücenneb 8, tanini 9, augmented second 12–13 komas.
  • Perde names are given taking the Rast perde as G; the A perde is 440 Hz. The frequency of each perde is calculated by these two rules and is not rounded.
  • In actual performance some perdes are played slightly differently from the theory (e.g. segâh is slightly lower in most performances). The scores and instruments play in theoretical tuning.

How are the scores prepared?

  • The source is the MusicXML and text files in the SymbTr collection. The scores are rewritten with AEU accidentals and engraved with Verovio.
  • The sound played is taken from the koma value of each note in the source, so the perde you hear is the same as the one written in the score.
  • Staff check: Every published score is read automatically, as a music reader would read it, and compared with the source: pitch position, accidentals, rhythm, lyric syllables and the sound played. A work in which an error is found is not published.
  • The level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) is estimated automatically from the score: range, tempo, rhythm, usul (rhythmic cycle), variety of perdes and length. It is a suggestion and does not replace a teacher's assessment.

How do the virtual instruments sound?

  • Most instruments, including the kanun, bağlama and ud, play with real recordings: each perde is produced by shifting the pitch of the nearest recording with koma precision.
  • For instruments without recordings, and until the recordings have loaded, the sound is generated in the browser by synthesis (the Karplus-Strong method for string instruments).
  • On the kanun, the mandals (tuning levers) adjust automatically to the perdes of the makam; you can also adjust each course by hand.

Makam information

  • For each makam, the scale, the karar (final tone) and güçlü (dominant) perdes, its structure and its seyir (melodic progression) are given. The scale is played in the makam's most characteristic form; perdes that change in ascent and descent are explained in the text.
  • The makam finder compares the perde distribution of a recording with the distributions of 20 makams derived from master performances. On full recordings, the correct makam ranks first about two-thirds of the time and is in the top three 88% of the time. The result is a suggestion.

Verification status

  • Makam presets, usul patterns and glossary definitions have not yet been approved by an expert; for approved makams, the approver and the date are shown on the makam page.
  • The translations into the 15 languages other than Turkish were made with the help of AI and are awaiting review by native speakers.
  • If you see an error, write to us via the contact page; corrections go live on the site with the next release.

Privacy

In tools that use the microphone and camera, sound and video are processed only on your device and are not sent anywhere. Details are in the privacy policy.