Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup tuning 53tET is not the right system for Maqam Music Notation

Hello Kraig,

I wish not to be misunderstood. 53tET has indeed a long history in Turkey. But its wide-spread usage in music institutions all over the country is pretty recent, going only as far past as two decades I believe. The reason is due to the fact that secterianism between the Kemalist puritans and Maqam Music advocates (who are seperated into many sects themselves) reached its pinnacle during late 1970s, whereby the tide turned in favor of Maqam Music to the detriment Kemalists, resulting in the foundation of the first convervatory primarily geared for Maqam Music education. Yes, you guessed right, it is the conservatory where I am pursuing my doctorate career now.

The whole business of commas come into play because of the need to identify pitches unique to Turkish Maqam Music (and incidentally, Folk Music). Why else would a Turkish Nationalist school based on Western atonality (or crooked forms of tonality for that matter), require 53tET especially when all their symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles are educated to play by only 12-tones? Why would they need to learn microtonality when all they can do is play Western Classical Music in their pompous concert halls crowded by hapless audiences?

Microtonality? None of the Westernized musicians here know how to go about it. I myself have experienced an ignominous defeat by their hands when my own amateurish microtonal composition was brutalized the previous year.

Thus, the application of 53tET was limited to theory books and articles written by eccentric theorists who were lucky to find a bunch of musicians that they were able to educate.

Today, however, the "comma" has been robbed of its functional status, and instead, is frequently used to refer to the "smallest conceived audible interval that makes a difference". It is therefore employed by those who care about music beyond 12-tones. Apparently, Arel-Ezgi theory was the culprit for the "scourge of the comma" around these parts. Fortunately, the majority of the Arabs succumbed to the "quarter-tone" instead.

For gosh sakes, Maqam musicians here cannot think in other terms, but the comma! Yet, it makes no difference to anyone whether the sound system, knowingly or unknowingly, implemented is actually 53tET or not. For one thing, they don't even know any comma other than ditonic. They are not even aware as to how a pure third ought to be expressed. Their scorn for meantone temperaments, without realizing their depth, is truly astonishing.

I was apalled by the fact that one of the eldest and greatest Qanun makers in Turkey-Izmir had consigned to 100 cents for the semitones. I was shocked to learn of it when the first Qanun I acquired from him was so built. It was equally apalling to learn that one of the greatest Qanun virtuosos of Turkey, Ruhi Ayangil, is the possessor of Qanuns that have their latches affixed at 100 cents per semitone.

'Twas but madness to be ignorant, or worse, uncaring of such a thing. I immediately discovered the problem that could not be resolved by simple tuning tricks, and ordered another Qanun as a replacement. Even then, I had to specify my exact intentions despite the fact that I was a genuine ignoramus in tuning back then, and realized later on that I had specified 70tET by instinct.

My observations tell me, that 60tET is inferred today even when thinking and talking in terms of 53tET. Thus, the distinction between a 4-comma sharp and 5-comma sharp has already dissapeared, resulting in a chaos that awaits immediate resolution for the sake of Maqam Music education. Ignorance and ineptitude has reached unbelievable levels it seems.

Why would a meantone fifth be chosen for drones and pedal tones? It is required simply for the correct notation of Rast. And besides, I aim to make use of it only with the Qanuns, and consign it to paper in theory. Of course the ear wants to hear the pure fifth resonating. I cannot help it if Western Staff Notation has no provisions for the distinction between Rast and Suz-i Dilara. If I am to think in terms of 53tET, or 159tET for that matter, I have to specify a "comma-flat" for the 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees for the Rast Maqam. Do you find it correct that the "Mother of All Maqams" is expressed with flats in the key signature while Suz-i Dilara is not?

Meantone is the way to the rescue out of this mess, and I don't give a darn anymore if the fifth is way too flat to achieve the near-correct pitches.

Cordially,
Ozan

----- Original Message -----
From: Kraig Grady
To: tuning@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 13 Haziran 2005 Pazartesi 17:59
Subject: Re: [tuning] Digest Number 3551

hi Ozan!
I seem to remember the turkish music has a long history with 53 form
the documents i have seen at least a hundred years old , going buy the
turkish book found in UCLA library, as well as quite a bit that Lou
Harrison had in his pocession, as far as recordings.
I have never heard any turkish person mention 60 ET unless this is a
recent development, which seems to be an awkward concession to european
tuning. Since turkish music uses enough drones and pedal tones in more
recent music , the idea of a meantone fifth doesn't sound right, just
for this reason. or from worknig with a meantone system, does such a
system seem to relate to music of this area.
In fact it turns it back on everyone east of them. 53 and subsets of it
have been around for centuries thoughout this entire region. I cannot
believe it didnt make it to turkey until recently.

53tET is not the right system for Maqam Music Notation

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@superonline.com>

🔗monz <monz@tonalsoft.com>

🔗Gene Ward Smith <gwsmith@svpal.org>

🔗Gene Ward Smith <gwsmith@svpal.org>

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@superonline.com>

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@superonline.com>