QUARTAL HARMONY IN TURKISH MUSIC
Tarkan SONGÜR/Musicolog/Conductor/Composer
1978-1982 Istanbul Munipality Conservatory
1992 Marmara University Music Education
1998 Eastern Illinois University M.A (Conducting Orchestra)
2006 Istanbul University Social Sciences Institute Musicology M.A
Work History:
1999-2002 Kocaeli University School of Fine Arts Music Department
2003-2007 Istanbul University
2008- Istanbul Municipality as Arranger/Musicologist
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The quartal Harmony which is known by musicians for many years and had been used in Jazz music and Heavy metal music.
The origin of Turkish folk music is based on special scales. These special scales are as follows:
http://www.turkishmusicportal.org/en/types-of-turkish-music/turkish-classical-music-the-makam-phenomenon-in-ottoman-turkish-music
As you consider, Turkish Serail Ottoman Palace Music and Turkish folk music are cousins but not brothers.
While the scales of Ottoman Music are non neutral synthetic, Turkish folk music is More Naturel. The composers of Turkish folk Music (aşuq's) directly composed music and did not make any research of musical scales. Better to mention when they started to compose music they have never thouught as ''Let me compose a song with hicaz scale this time'' They directly with words began to sang and composer their music.
They have composed always after any event or emotional manic situations or depressive emotional situations. (All humankind not some?)
They composed after and earthquake, death of family of beloved ones, pray for God, Thanks giving of good result of good harvest. (crop)
or during Marriage party ceremony.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_folk_music
During 1950's the composer's Kemal İlerici's idea for making this music polyphonic has been risen as ''SUN''. First of all the idea of using quartal harmony was a big invention and using this quartal harmony with a special way was another big invention.
The idea of using quartal harmony became his mind just because of mannerism of playing baglama.In the playing style of bağlama ''KARA DÜZEN'' (BLACK ORGANIZATION) musician creates melody by using first string (uppest) but sometimes hit all strings, but when musician hits other strings, do not press these other 2 strings.
After Ilerici invented these Harmony style he had been motivated and congragulated by many European musicians but after because of Gealousy of his collagues (as always) this musical harmony style became to be forgotten.
Many years later the 3rd generation musicians by more global and better moral character tried to make live this harmonic style. There are many young researchers gave information about this harmonic style only from the outside perspective such as:
''This car is a red and many people agrees this car's color is red''
Not like this:
This car is painted to red why? what is the purpose, motivation, necessity of they painted this car to red?.
Answer:
The people who do not have talent and lack of knowledge, can not make statement only state again the old statements ''yes this car is red because the others said also''
In this essay I will try to explain the details of quartal harmony in Turkish Music.
My composition of ballet music SALCAN which I have used %75 of quartal harmony won a mansion prize from Turkish Republic of State Opera General Management.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJQp7dWfILI
(In this part of music I did not use quartal harmony)
The using mannerism of this style quartal harmony is far different than traditional quartal harmony. First of all Ilerici does not expand the parties more. (I agree also) however the system is quartal, he uses this harmony with 2nd intervales more.
According to his manner, the more expand the distance between notes the more bad ressonance we have.
Actually it is not good to label this situation ''bad ressonance''. This term means the less proper harmony for this special Turkish Music.
WHEN WE WANT TO MAKE POLYPHONIC TURKISH MUSIC
THE DISADVANTAGES are as follows:
1-The melodies are mostly the based of D or A dorian style (hüseyni mugam- dizi)
Actually there are many Greek polyphonic music however our music melodic style has not any system. The melody is more free but not absurd.
2-Penthatonism is very much used.
3-Penthatonism while is used in a melodic fragment suddenly, dorian style becomes (especially downward melodies)
NOTE: NOW I TRY TO EXPLAIN WHY THE CAR IS RED.
4-Sometimes 'Leaping Voices' leaping of 7. ''D'' to ''C'' or any.
5- +5 intervals of using. (but +5 morely used in Arabic music (A Bflat Csharp D,E)
6-The melodies has been composed without hesitation of harmonic sequence and tonik dominant chord progression and decision. But this music has Tonic and dominant centers. (This music is not as Indian music without tonal center or indecisive tonal center-FLOATING MUSIC)
7-Quartal notes is used many times.
When I find more rules I will add.
ADVANTAGES OF TURKISH FOLK MUSIC:
1-By using quartal and Dual (Harmony by using 2nd intervals) with one chord it is possible to write long melodies. The type of music which is not choral music, may accept less chords.
2-Only bass lines sometimes is enough against melody.
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The harmony is based of these system
in the middle side always the ''Scale lays''
D E F G A B C
A B C D E F G
E F G A B C D
I II III IV V VI VII
The quartal harmony which is written in Wikipedia is ''Western Quartal Harmony'' Its mannerism is different than our project.
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WHEN MELODY IS MADE POLYPHONIC:
1-All chords must be inverted and all chords has to be one 2nd interval at least.
(In western music while 2nd degree is dissonant, in this music it is again dissonant but because of amalgamation of resonance and created sonic ambience of this music eliminates dissonance effect of 2nd intervals. (I will prove this soon)Chords came to this situation:
A resonates Best, B resonates Okay, C resonates bad.
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THe cause of using quartal harmony in Turkish Music because of the melodic origin of Turkish music. Turkish Lute musical instrument's tuning is made as guitar (La re sol) or (do-fa si flat) (ADG) or (CFB flat)
thus, the resonance of this music sounds like paralel fourths. Why parallel forths? because playing baglama is not close to guitar. In this instrument even capable of producing chords, musician does not produce chords. Musician move one's hand left and right and finds the correct sounds (just as sitar)
when musician plays melody, sometimes hit the other empty strings and these empty strings always give same sounds such as ostinato chord. it is ''DEM SOUND''
BASED SOUND. Mr Kemal İlerici invented to use quartal harmony in Turkish Music. Better to mention, using quartal harmony properly in Turkish Music.
The natural melodic types of Turkish music is not proper to being polyphonic by using western tritonal harmony. Actually, many Turkish musicians think that Turkish Music must not be polyphonized. The system is closer to western armonic system
1-There are some common voices (which in different functions)
as you see in diagram in the middle there is huseyni scale, it is the main scale. the other upper and lower scales are chord voices. Contrary to western chord structure in quartal harmony the main scale is in the middle.
The disadvantage of using quartal harmony is dull and hrrrrr sound of quartals and quintals. For that reason, using 2nd intervals, is better. In this case using 2nd intervals gets more dissonant hearing.
The prevent this result sometimes melody is written monophonic or only with bass line. These all solutions have used in my "Colors from Anatolia" album of music score for pianoforte. I will share some of them soon.
THE ENIGMA:
As we consider Turkish Music and other eastern Music, (except Asian Music) are more melodic based.
Beside the Asian Music which is Penthatonic, The Indian and Turkish Music have melodic structure. While westen music is based on harmonic progression, Turkish music is based on melodic structure.
However, Turkish music has also tonic, subdominant and dominant relationship.
Many melodies including simple tribe melodies must have phrases and, half decision phrases and whole decision phrases. This situation is in the nature of music. These half and whole phrases is related to tonic dominant relationship.
There are many such phrases have in Dede Efendi Compositions.
Turkish Nursery Rhyme:
''I sell butter, I sell Honey'' (Yağ satarım bal Satarım)
(THe result is a girl who wears her under indian costume, and upper side wears, European Style shirt.
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