makam.ly

[BB]

With a test-snippet I investigated the Turkish notation:

#(set-global-staff-size 27)

\include "makam.ly"

\relative c' {

\set Staff.keyAlterations = #`(

(0 . ,(- EKSIK-IKI))

(1 . ,(- EKSIK-UC))

(2 . ,KOMA)

(3 . ,(- KOMA))

(4 . ,BAKIYE)

(5 . ,KUCUK)

(6 . ,BUYUKMUCENNEB)

)

%(7 . ,(- BUYUKMUCENNEB))

% c4 cc db e fk gbm4 gfc a b c gfb efk fk4 db cc c

}

The Turkish terms define the steps in a full Tone interval in fractals of cents.

#(define-public EKSIK-IKI 5/18)

#(define-public EKSIK-UC 6/18)

#(define-public KOMA 1/9)

#(define-public BAKIYE 4/9)

#(define-public KUCUK 5/9)

#(define-public BUYUKMUCENNEB 8/9)

If you carefully investigate the output, you find a bunch of nonsense! (- EKSIK-IKI)

(- EKSIK-UC)

BAKIYE give the same key sign, a mirrired b. That does mean they cannot be distinguished. 5/18 = 0.277777778, 6/18 = 0.333333333 are very close, but why distinguish if you cannot detect it in the sheet music? BAKIYE with 4/9 = 0.444444444 is not close to the former fractals. The graphic on http://www.oud.eclipse.co.uk/images/turkish_acc.gif shows the accidentals used in Turkish music, that can be distinguished. I would recommend to describe that fact in the chapter of the manual: http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.19/Documentation/snippets/world-music

I would recommend to redesign arabic.ly to english note names. I do not find makam.ly usefull in the nowadays practice.

To avoid a shit storm: Everybody is free to use the historical noatation practice and makam.ly or whatever!

B. B.

An overview:

Turkish notation \include makam.ly makam -> plural makamlar

one full tonal step divided into 9 comma, in my opinion this is only of interest for classical/historical Turkish music, or for geographic intonation differences of folk music for field studies. In the today music practice notation is similar to the quarter tone notation.

Arabic noatation \include arabic.ly
maqam -> plural maqamat
The notation simply divides a full tonal step into 4 intervals. There are geographic differences in the music practice as well. The lilypond practice to use italian note names does not meet the nowaday practice. I play Oud and most of the arbic players a meet use the english note names.The Italian note names are a hurdle for the English speaking users and others as well.