ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the result of long research regarding the relation between popular music and the mey in Turkey. It aims to introduce the mey as an instrument and to recognize its status within Turkish popular music. The mey can be included in multi-instrument ensembles as a solo instrument or as a part of the accompaniment; when it is used in a section; the tonic drone is often supplied by a different instrument. Primarily an ensemble instrument, it is often played in duets with another balaban, and accompanied by the nagara for songs, dances, and purely instrumental pieces. Another instrument in this extended family is the Armenian duduk. The duduk was most commonly used in folk music, but more recently it has also appeared in sacred, urban, classical, and popular music. The popular foreign musics that had the greatest influence on performance in Turkey came predominantly from the Mediterranean.
