Mastering Turkish Music On Guitar

Turkish music is unlike anything you’ve played before. It’s intricate, deeply expressive, and built on a system of phrasing that breaks free from Western structures. If you’ve ever felt trapped in scales, shapes, and predictable patterns, this is your way out.

In Turkish Music for Guitar, Fernando Perez teaches you how to translate Turkish makam, phrasing, and ornamentation onto the guitar. This playlist is your companion—showcasing the essential pieces and styles covered in the course.

Some tracks in the Spotify playlist may be alternate recordings due to availability, but they all reflect the tradition and sound you’ll be learning.

Start learning now: Turkish Music for Guitar

Turkish Makam and Instrumental Mastery

These recordings highlight the makam system through instrumental performances on traditional Turkish instruments like the oud and saz. Essential listening for understanding phrasing and ornamentation on the guitar.

• “Kırklar Semahı” – Yurdal Tokcan
• “Hicaz Sirtosu” – Yurdal Tokcan
• “Hüseyni Saz Semaisi” – Tanburi Cemil Bey
• “Uşşak Saz Semaisi” – Ross Daly
• “Yalı Kenarı” – Ross Daly
• “Hicaz Mandıra” – Tanburi Cemil Bey

Traditional Folk Songs & Anatolian Repertoire

These folk songs and türkü are the heart of Anatolian music, often played on the saz (bağlama) and adapted across various instruments.

• “Çanakkale Türküsü” – Kardeş Türküler
• “Çanakkale İçinde” – Sabahat Akkiraz
• “Katibim (Üsküdar’a Gider İken)” – Safiye Ayla
• “Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım” – Âşık Veysel
• “Kara Toprak” – Âşık Veysel

Saz, Oud, and Vocal-Led Classics

This section showcases the virtuosity of Turkish instrumentalists and the deep emotional power of vocal traditions. Essential for understanding phrasing, melodic ornamentation, and rhythmic feel.

• “Fidayda” – Erkan Oğur
• “Hekimoğlu” – Ümit Tokcan
• “Sarı Gelin” – Sevcan Orhan
• “Divane Aşık Gibi” – Cengiz Özkan

Why This Playlist Matters

Listening to these recordings while studying Turkish Music for Guitar will sharpen your ear, deepen your phrasing, and help you absorb the spirit of this tradition. Turkish music is alive—it’s not just scales and patterns, but an expressive language.

Take the next step in your playing: Turkish Music for Guitar