The variant formation of Turkish folk songs: A case of melodic variants

Abstract

This study aims to identify the mechanisms of melodic variant formation that emerge during the transmission of Turkish folk songs across different regions. The research was conducted using a mixed-method approach; first, song examples included in the TRT Turkish Folk Music repertoire, widely performed among the public and melodically well-known, were selected. Subsequently, variant pairings exhibiting melodic similarity to these songs were identified. The examined pairings are as follows: “Adalardan Çıktım Yayan – Bebeğin Beşiği Çamdan,” “Geline Bak Geline – Mendilim İşle Yolla,” “Tevekte Üzüm Kara – Gel Benim Gelin Yarim,” “İndim Yârin Bahçesine – Meclisinde Mail Oldum,” “Eğdim Kavak Dalını – Değirmen Üstü Çiçek,” and “Bahar Geldi Güller Açtı – Sevdiğim Bir Gün Bana (Yar Demedin).” The song pairs were analyzed through notation-based comparative examination of their modal structures, rhythmic organization, and melodic motifs. In data analysis, melodic similarities were demonstrated through color-coding and motif mapping techniques; motif shifts, rhythmic divergences, and performance tendencies were evaluated using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings reveal that variant formation intensifies particularly within specific melodic motifs and in characteristically shaped melodic turns of vocal sections. In the case of “Adalardan Çıktım Yayan” and “Bebeğin Beşiği Çamdan,” the Hüseynî mode is preserved, yet changes in rhythmic structure (transition from 4/4 Sofyan to 7/4 Devr-i Hindî + return to 4/4 Sofyan) distinctly influence the melodic variant. In “Geline Bak Geline” and “Mendilim İşle Yolla,” the two-beat Nim Sofyan rhythmic pattern remains stable, but regional vocal articulation and performance preferences create micro-level variations in vocal motifs. In “İndim Yârin Bahçesine” and “Meclisinde Mail Oldum,” the shared use of the Mahur mode is maintained, yet changes in the contour of ascent–descent within melodic progression render the variant apparent. These findings show that while the modal framework remains largely stable during the transmission of songs across different geographical and social settings, melodic motifs are reshaped according to local rhythmic, phonetic, and performance practices. The preservation of the melodic skeleton alongside micro-level motif modifications is evaluated as a core characteristic of folk music transmitted within the oral tradition.