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Maqam Bayati Presentation

Maqam Bayati        Click Here to Hear & see the Scale

In this section,  we come to an original mode which is used through out the Arab countries and other places that came in contact with the Islamic culture.  This Maqam is called “Bayati” Maqam.  It contains a Bayati tetra chord on Re (D) which has ¾ step between the first and second notes (Re-Mi) , ¾ step between the second and third notes (Mi-Fa) and a complete step between the third and fourth notes (Fa-Sol) (Sample ). The tetra chord becomes as follows: (Sample ). 

The origin of this Maqam is folkloric, which has evolved through the ages to become one of the most prominent Maqam in Arabic music.  We find it in the Tunisian folk music and singing and is known by “Al-Salihi”, and we also find it in the Syrian and Lebanese folk singing form of Ataba and Mijana. Which makes us conclude that: This Maqam may have Phoenician roots, due to the connection of these regions at the times of the Phoenicians.  Here is an example of Ataba and Mijana on “Bayati”, by the Lebanese singer Sabir Al Safh (Ataba ).  And here is another example of the Al-Salihi style singing in Tunis, by the singer Ismaeel Alhattab (Al-Salihi ).

The “Bayati” Maqam is composed of a “Bayati” Tetra chord on the Tonic of Re (D) (Sample ) followed by a “Rast” Tetra chord on Sol (G) (Sample ), then a “Bayati” Tetra chord on the upper Re (D2) (Sample ).  However, when descending, the second tetra chord becomes a “Nahawand” tetra chord on Sol (G) (Sample ).  Here is an improvisation on the Flute to show the various “Bayati” Tetra chords, ascending and descending.  And here is a Muwashah from the Turkish musical heritage, with which we end our session (Turkish Muwashah ). 

Dulab, Taqseem & Samaii Bayati
Samaii Bayati 1
Samaii Bayati 2
Tahmilah Bayati
Taqseem Bayati-Qanoon
Taqseem Bayati-Violin
Taqseem Bayati- Ney
Taqseem Bayati-Oud-R. Sunbati
Taqseem Bayati-Buzuq
Muwashah Yasahi Elasabr

Maqam Turkish Ushshaq

We start this session by talking about the various modes that are derived from the “Bayati” Maqam.  The first one is the “Turkish Ushshaq”, which only differs from “Bayati” in its second Tetra chord, which is played as Nahawand Tetra chord on Sol (G) ascending and descending (Sample ), instead of Rast ascending and Nahawand descending.  Here is the entire scale of Ushshaq (Scale ).  The following example is one of the most prominent musical pieces to illustrate this Maqam.  It is a Bashraf Ushshaq by the Turkish composer Usman Bey, which was played by some of the biggest groups of Arabic music in the first half of last century (Bashraf Ushshaq ) 

The “Turkish Ushshaq” is used extensively in the Arab countries.  It’s known in Tunisia by “Alhusein Ajam”, as indication to its sixth note Ti flat (B flat) (the word Ajam is used for the note B flat), and we introduce to you a piece called Shghul which is either a Turkish piece that used Arabic wording or an Arabic piece that inspired by Turkish music. The song begins with (Rifqan Malik Alhusni  ). 

Bashraf Ushaq
Samaii Ushaq-Aziz Dada

Maqam Al-Husseini

The second variety of “Bayati” is a Maqam called “Al-Husseini”, and differs from “Bayati” by its second Tetra chord being Bayati on the Tonic La (A) instead of Rast on Sol (Sample ).  Which makes “Al-Husseini” composed of three Bayati Tetra chords, first on Re, second on La and the third on upper Re (D2) (Sample ).

And here is an Example of this Maqam; a part of Samaii Husseini by the Turkish composer Tatius (Samaii Husseini ). 

Watch & Listen to the Scale
 

Dulab Husseini
Dulab,Taqseem, Mawwal Husseini
Taqseem Husseini- Ney
Samaii Husseini 1
Samaii Husseini 2

   Maqam Muhayyar

The third variety of Bayati is called “Muhayyar”.  The Persians refer it to a Sufi Master called Baba Tahir. This mode is played mainly on the upper octave, and here is a Muwashah as an example (Muwashah in Muhayyar ). 

Maqam Bayati Chury

The fourth variety of Bayati is called “Bayati Chury” and at time called “Qar-Jghar”.  It’s different from Bayati by having a second Tetra chord as a Hijaz on Sol (Sample ), which makes its scale as follows: (Scale ).

Here is one of the examples about “Bayati Chury”, a Dour by the Late Seyyid Darweech concluding this session (Dhayyati Mustaqbal Hayati ). 
 

Watch & Listen to the Scale
 

Qudd: Ah Ya Hilu
Waslah Bayati Chury

Maqam Al-Saba

And now we move on to an Eastern Maqam called “Alsaba”, A Maqam that is very passively influential.  It’s never played at the beginning of a party, because it induces, in the audience, a feeling of relaxation and a slow down that at times, leads to sleepiness.  It was mentioned that Seif Aldawla Alhamadani, the governor of Aleppo during those days, was feeling depressed and in an unhappy mood, and had asked for someone to cheer him up.  Alfarabi, the artist and philosopher, was brought to the palace, and played a certain Maqam that made the Governor and the guests happy and cheerful.  Then he played another Maqam that made them laugh, then he played a third Maqam, and it’s said that it was “Saba”, which left every body sleepy, and Alfarabi left. 

The Scale of “Saba” is composed of a Trichord of Bayati (Sample ), followed by a Hijaz Tetra chord on the third note (Fa) (Sample ), and that is how the scale of Saba sounds (Scale ).  Here is an improvisation on the Flute for an example of Saba (Taqseem Flute ).  For another example, here is a great song composed by the late Zakaria Ahmad and sung by the Late Um-Kalthoum, (Huwwa Saheeh Alhawa Ghallab ). 
 

Watch & Listen to the scale
 

Dulab Saba
Taqseem Saba-Ney
Taqseem Saba-Violin
Tahmilah Saba

Maqam Bayati in North Africa

   Maqam Al-Hussein

(Flute ) The Last session was about the Bayati Maqam and its varieties, and what was known of it in the Arab East.  We have also mentioned the fact that it is equivalent to a Maqam used in Morocco called “Al-Hussein”, where they both share the same musical scale, with minor differences in some musical cosmetics, which distinguishes the nature of musical identity in the Arab North Africa.  Here is an example of “Al-Hussein”, from the Algerian School of Music, in the city of Telmesaan (Husein Song ) 

The fourth kind of Al-Hussein is “Al-Hussein Saba”, with its character being a stressed third note of its scale (Fa) (Scale  ), and here is an illustration (Saba Muwashah ) 

The fifth Variety of Al-Hussein is “Al-Hussein Ajam”, which we have encountered when we compared it to the Turkish Ushshaq.  This Maqam’s character is having a second Tetra chord of Nahawand in ascending and descending, which makes its sixth note Ti flat (B flat) (Scale ) and with this, we end this session.

(Oud )   In this session, we continue discussing Maqamat that branched out from “Al-Hussein” of Morocco, which is equal to Bayati in the East.  The new branch is a new Maqam called “Al-Ajam”, which is different from “Ajam Usheiran” that was discussed previously.  This Maqam is distinguished by having an Ajam Trichord on the sixth note of Bayati, that is Ti Flat (Sample ), and a return to the Bayati scale.  Here is an example from the Arabic Heritage of the East, By Dr. Salih Al-Mehdi (Ijmaou bilqhurbi Shamli ). 

).  And with this, we end our discussion about “Al-Hussein”.