This study examines eight folk songs from the Elazığ region “Bebeğin Beşiği Çamdan,” “Gel Benim Gelin Yârim,” “İki Keklik,” “İndim Yârin Bahçesine,” “Minare Dolam Dolam (Al Çuha),” “Havuz Başının Gülleri,” “Çayın Öte Yüzünde,” and “Al Almayı Daldan Al” and compares them with their variants collected from other regions of Turkey in terms of lyrics, melody, and rhythmic structure. Using a qualitative methodology and document analysis, particularly based on written sources such as the TRT Turkish folk music Repertoire, the songs were analyzed with respect to modal structure, rhythm, lyrics, and melodic patterns. The study investigates how these folk songs have evolved through oral transmission, migration, local musical traditions, and memory-based reinterpretation. The findings indicate varying degrees of similarity: in some cases, only lyrical elements overlap; in others, melodic or structural similarities are also observed. In a few examples, significant congruence exists across lyrics, melody, and style. These results reveal how folk songs adapt to different cultural and geographical contexts, reflecting regional musical aesthetics and underlining the dynamic and diverse character of Turkish folk music
Elazığ, folk song, variant, melody, usûl.