Ottoman and Arabic music is based on “makam theory” which is extremely rich and complex. But there is one makam that I find so evocative that an initial few notes powerfully invites more exploration. So I’ve offered one possible initial statement, and invite you to do the rest!
It’s a prompt for creativity, so feel free to change anything: transpose it, use a different time signature, rise up from tonic with a series of notes rather than one big leap, whatever. What is essential to Huseyni is that you
- start on the tonic
- rise quickly to the fifth
- explore the minor tetrachord rooted on the fifth
- end back on tonic.
In Turkish and Arabic, the second (here, B) is microtonally flat, particularly when a melody descends to the tonic. Since this minor scale is really a five-step minor tetrachord based on A, with a four-step minor tetrachord stacked on top (rooted on E), the second of this upper tetrachord (F#) also benefits from being microtonally flat. If you have a fretless or otherwise non-tempered instrument, try these to bring out additional color. But even if you can’t, a Western-tempered minor scale still gives lots of room to experiment.
Here are some great examples of Huseyni in action:
- Chechen Girl by Cemil (Jamil) Bey
- Huseyni Saz Semai by Tatyos Efendi, played here by Cemil Bey (just can’t get enough!). Incidentally Tatyos Efendi was Armenian.
- Proof that Ottoman music is not dead: Ross Daly and Dolunay play the Huseyni Saz Semai composed by the Dolunay’s oud player Adam Good. Ross is playing the tarhoo, a recently-created instrument.
Have fun!
Jim Garrett
