The idea of composing An Afterthought arose while writing down the transcription of Rehavi Peşrev by Derviş Mustafa (d.1757) for harp, a piece dating to the eighteenth century. The melodic material lent itself easily to another usul, the yürük semai. Moving away from the peşrev which is based on the evsat usul, a rhythmic pattern of 26/8 with a ceremonious character, this arrangement places these melodies in a different time signature: 6/8, the yürük semai usul. So, in effect, An Afterthought is a variation on Rehavi Peşrev in a different time signature.