Maqam Al-Hijaz            

       We will discuss now, a new Maqam called “Al-Hijaz”, and this word is the name of a prominent province of the Arabian Peninsula.  The scale of this Maqam is composed of a “Hijaz” Tetra chord on Re (D), which has a second note lowered by 40%, then a third note raised(#), and the fourth note is natural that is Sol (Sample ).  The first Tetra chord is followed by a Rast Tetra chord on Sol (Sample ), then A “Hijaz” Tetra chord on Upper Re .  When descending, the “Rast” Tetra chord changes to “Nahawand” Tetra chord (Sample ), and that is how the entire scale sounds like (Scale ) 

The Hijaz has several names.  It’s called Hijaz in the East and in Turkey, “Usbaein” (means: Two fingers) in Tunisia and Libya, “Zedan” in Algeria and “Alhijaz Alkabeer” in Morocco.  And here is an Algerian example by the Algerian singer Dahmaan Bin Aashour (Algerian Song ). 
 

Watch & Listen to the Scale
 

Dulab, Taqseem, Qasida Hijaz
Samaii Hijaz

   Maqam Al-Hamayoon

One of the “Hijaz” Variety is called “Al-Hamayoon”, which is a Persian word meaning blessed, and is unique in stopping at the second and fourth notes of the Scale (Scale ), instead of “Rast” on Sol,  and here is an example from the Turkish musical heritage and is a part of a Bashraf Hamayoon by Usman Bey (Bashraf Hamayoon ). 

Bashraf Hamayoon
 

Maqam Shahnaz

The Second variety of “Hijaz” is called “Shahnaz”, which is a Persian word meaning Happiness of the Sultan.  This Maqam has a “Hijaz” Tetra chord on Re (Sample ) and another Hijaz Tetra chord on La (Sample ), and that is how it sounds (Scale ).  Here is an example of the Nawbah of Andalusian origin (Nawbah ).  In Algeria, when Hijaz is mixed with another Maqam they call it “Almujannabah”. 
 

Dulab Shahnaz
Longa Shahnaz
Samaii Shahnaz