What a maqam is
The maqam (plural maqamat; in Turkish makam) is the modal system of Arabic music and, with differences, of Turkish and Persian (dastgah) music and of part of Central Asia. A maqam is not just a scale: it is a set of melodic rules that includes
- a succession of notes with precise intonations, often microtonal;
- the combination of ajnas (singular jins), blocks of 3, 4 or 5 notes (see Tetrachords);
- a tonic (qarar) and a “dominant” or resting note, the ghammaz, on which the second jins begins;
- a sayr, the typical melodic path: where you start, where you linger, how you descend;
- formulas and modulations toward neighboring maqamat.
The most used reference for study in English is Maqam World (maqamworld.com), which describes ajnas, maqamat and families.
Microtones and notation
Many maqamat use notes “halfway” between our semitones, indicated with the half-flat. As a first approximation they are considered quarter tones (about 50 cents, 24-TET), but the real intonation varies by region and by maqam: the E half-flat of Rast in Cairo is not identical to that of Aleppo or Baghdad, and in the Turkish system one reasons in commas (1/53 of an octave). In this entry E½b indicates E half-flat (about 50 cents below E natural).
The four basic maqamat
| Maqam | Notes (reference tonic) | Lower jins | Upper jins (from the ghammaz) | Ghammaz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rast | C D E½b F G A B½b C | Rast on C (C D E½b F) | Rast on G (G A B½b C); descending often Nahawand on G (G A Bb C) | G (5th degree) |
| Bayati | D E½b F G A Bb C D | Bayati on D (D E½b F G) | Nahawand on G (G A Bb C) | G (4th degree) |
| Hijaz | D Eb F# G A Bb C D | Hijaz on D (D Eb F# G) | Nahawand on G (G A Bb C) or Rast on G (G A B½b C) | G (4th degree) |
| Saba | D E½b F Gb A Bb C Db | Saba on D (D E½b F Gb) | Hijaz on F (F Gb A Bb) | F (3rd degree) |
Rast
The “fundamental” maqam (rast in Persian means “straight, right”). Color: solemn, proud, balanced. The neutral third and seventh (neither major nor minor) are its signature. Many calls to prayer (adhan) and many classical Arabic compositions begin in Rast.
Bayati
The most widespread maqam in Arabic folk and religious music. Color: warm, intimate, earthy. The neutral 2nd (E½b) above the tonic is its distinguishing mark. It is often said to be “the maqam of the people”.
Hijaz
The closest to our Phrygian dominant (D Eb F# G A Bb C), but with its own intonation: the Eb is often a bit sharp and the F# a bit flat compared with the tempered scale. Color: intense, nostalgic, “of the desert” in Western perception. It is the maqam that Western cinema associates with the Middle East.
Saba
The most melancholy and sorrowful. Its peculiarity: the fourth is diminished (D – Gb) and the octave is not perfect (Db instead of D), so the maqam “does not close” on the octave. Often associated with lament and mourning.
Rhythm and instruments
The rhythms (iqa’at) are cycles of low (dum) and high (tak) strokes: maqsum (4/4: dum-tak-tak-dum-tak), baladi, masmudi, sama’i thaqil (10/8), wahda. Typical instruments: oud (fretless lute, which allows microtones), qanun (zither with levers to change the intonation), ney (reed flute), Arabic violin, riq (tambourine), darbuka. Free solo improvisation is called taqsim.
Listening
Umm Kulthum, Fairuz, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Sabah Fakhri (Aleppo tradition), Marcel Khalife; in modern instrumental music the qanun and oud of Simon Shaheen, Anouar Brahem. To get oriented, Maqam World offers sound examples for each jins and maqam.
Maqam in production
- FL Studio: in the Piano roll every note has the Fine pitch property (in cents): you can lower the Es and Bs by about 50 cents for Rast. Many synths (Surge XT, Pigments, Serum 2) accept tuning files (.scl, .tun) or MTS-ESP for Arabic tunings.
- Pitch bend: with a pitch bend range of 1 semitone, half travel = a quarter tone.
- Harmony: classical Arabic music is monophonic and heterophonic; accompanying a maqam with Western chords (especially with thirds containing neutral notes) distorts its character. Better to use drones, fifths, unisons and rhythm.
Common mistakes
- Reducing every maqam to a tempered scale: Hijaz ≈ Phrygian dominant is only an approximation; Rast, Bayati and Saba have no tempered equivalent.
- Using the maqam as an “exotic backdrop” without sayr: a maqam is recognized by its path, not by its notes.
- Harmonizing the neutral notes with major or minor triads.
Exercise
- Set up in FL Studio a melody in Rast on C by lowering the Es and Bs by 50 cents; play it over a drone on C and G.
- Compose a short taqsim in Bayati on D: start from the tonic, pause on G (ghammaz), rise to C and come back slowly.
- Program a maqsum rhythm at 100 BPM with darbuka and riq and superimpose a melody in Hijaz.
Related
Tetrachords; Phrygian dominant; Double harmonic scale; Dorian #4; Equal temperament and cents; Raga: introduction.