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Arabic Music Maqamaat

Maqam Ajam and Family

Maqam Bayati and Family

	This maqam is a very popular modulation from maqam Bayati

	Maqam Hosseini is a very popular modulation from maqam Bayati.

Maqam Hijaz and Family


	Maqam Hijaz has two forms shown above. Often the (Hijaz-Rast) form is used on the way up, and the (Hijaz-Nahawand) form is used on the way down. A very important peculiarity of maqam Hijaz is a microtonal variation where the 2nd note (E ) is tuned slightly higher, and the 3rd note (F#) is tuned slightly lower, so as to narrow down the 1 1/2 tone interval.

Maqam Hijaz Kar and Family

Maqam Kurd and Family

Maqam Athar Kurdi:

Notice that the first 3 notes are a partial Kurd tetrachord, which is often exploited during modulation. See also maqam Nawa Athar which resembles this maqam, except the 2nd note is 1/2 step lower.

Maqam Hijaz kar Kurd

Although maqam Hijaz Kar Kurd has the same tonal intervals as maqam Kurd, it is not a transposed version of that maqam, because the dominant in this case is the 5th snote while in maqam Kurd the dominant is on the 4th note.

Maqam Nahawand and Family

	Maqam Nahawand has two versions shown above. In general the first version (Nahawand-Hijaz) is used on the way up, and the second version (Nahawand-Kurd) is used on the way down.
Maqam Farahfaza has the same tonal intervals as maqam Nahawand transposed on G. However its melodic development is different, and makes much use of the Ajam trichord on the third (B ).	Maqam Nahawand Murassah should not be confused with form 1 of maqam Nahawand (Nahawand-Hijaz), since although they both have the same lower and upper ajnas, the starting point of the Hijaz tetrachord (which is also the dominant) is a different note.
In this maqam the tuning of the third note (F) is played lower than usual.	Maqam Sultani Yakah is a transposed version of maqam Nahawand, starting on G.
Maqam Nahawand has two versions shown above. In general the first version (Nahawand-Hijaz) is used on the way up, and the second version (Nahawand-Kurd) is used on the way down.	Maqam Farahfaza has the same tonal intervals as maqam Nahawand transposed on G. However its melodic development is different, and makes much use of the Ajam trichord on the third (B ).

Maqam Rast and Family

Maqam Saba and Family

Maqam Bastanikar is unusual because it does not end on the octave (it ends on B instead of B ). The third note could be the starting point of maqam Saba on D, which is a possible modulation from Bastanikar. Also since the first 5 notes have the same tonal intervals as maqam Iraq, it is common to modulate from Iraq to Bastanikar.

Maqam Saba Zamzam resembles maqam Saba, except the 2nd note is 1/4 step lower. In other words instead of the first 3 notes forming the beginning of a Bayati tetrachord, they form the beginning of a Kurd tetrachord.

Maqam Sikah and Family


Maqam Bastanikar is unusual because it does not end on the octave (it ends on B instead of B ). The third note could be the starting point of maqam Saba on D, which is a possible modulation from Bastanikar. Also since the first 5 notes have the same tonal intervals as maqam Iraq, it is common to modulate from Iraq to Bastanikar.	Maqam Saba Zamzam resembles maqam Saba, except the 2nd note is 1/4 step lower. In other words instead of the first 3 notes forming the beginning of a Bayati tetrachord, they form the beginning of a Kurd tetrachord.