Greek Music & Beyond
The Theory of Rebetiko: From the Makams of Asia Minor to the Dromi of Piraeus
The first comprehensive English-language guide to the modal system of rebetiko — for musicians, researchers, and anyone who wants to understand this music from the inside.
Language: English (also available in Italian)
Pages: 282
Published: March 25, 2025
ISBN-13: 978-8894415766
Dimensions: 21.59 × 27.94 cm
Price: €28.90
Rebetiko has been studied as history, as sociology, and as cultural phenomenon. What has been missing — until now — is a rigorous, accessible account of the modal system that makes it sound the way it does. This book fills that gap.
The Theory of Rebetiko maps the relationship between the Ottoman makam tradition and the Greek dromi of Piraeus: where they overlap, where they diverge, and how that relationship shaped the sound of rebetiko from its earliest recordings to its classic period. The framework is analytical but never dry — every mode and drome is grounded in musical examples drawn from the actual repertoire, transcribed and documented in full.
The book is designed to work for multiple kinds of readers. Musicians who play or want to play rebetiko will find a practical modal reference they can use directly at the instrument. Ethnomusicologists and researchers will find a systematic comparative treatment of the Greek and Ottoman modal systems. And anyone who loves this music and wants to understand why it sounds the way it does will find clear explanations and immediate access to the recordings through QR codes.
What the book contains
- 41 modes and dromi documented in full: Rast, Ousak, Nikriz, Chitzaz, Kiourdi, Saba, Neveser, Nichavent, and 33 others — scale structure, characteristic phrases, and modal analysis for each
- 166 musical examples transcribed from the repertoire, selected from the works of Vamvakaris, Semsis, Tountas, Skarvelis, Batis, Delias, Asikis, Montanaris, Diamantidis, and others — each with composer, singer, recording, rhythm, and full modal analysis
- Dual notation throughout: microtonal and equal-tempered, to accommodate all instruments
- QR codes for every musical example — listen directly from the page on any smartphone or tablet
Who this book is for
Musicians who play or are learning Greek instruments — bouzouki, oud, laouto, guitar, tzouras, or baglamas — will find this an essential reference for their modal work. Every dromos is documented in full: scale, characteristic phrases, ornaments, and repertoire examples drawn from the classic recordings. Players familiar with Ottoman makam or Byzantine music will recognize the framework and find new comparative ground where the Greek tradition diverges from its neighbours.
Ethnomusicologists and scholars of Eastern Mediterranean music will find a systematic comparative treatment of the Greek and Ottoman modal systems — a subject that has received surprisingly little dedicated attention in English-language scholarship. The book places rebetiko modal theory within the broader world of Middle Eastern modality, and traces the specific transformations that occurred as the Asia Minor tradition took root in Piraeus.
Anyone who loves rebetiko and wants to understand why it sounds the way it does will find the writing clear and the examples immediately audible — every one of the 166 carries a QR code that opens the recording on your phone.
Explore more
Greek Folk Music: An Anthology of Tunes, Vol. 1 — traditional tunes to play alongside the modal theory in this book
Greek Folk Music: An Anthology of Tunes, Vol. 2 — a further selection of tunes from across Greece and the diaspora
Songs of Greece: With Greek Text, Translation, and Notes, Vol. 1 — the poetic and lyrical dimension of the same tradition
Learn this music
The tunes in this book are drawn from the same repertoire I teach in my Greek music lessons — particularly in bouzouki, oud, guitar, and mandolin courses. A trial lesson is the best way to start playing this music.
