Major & Related

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Maqam Mahoor

We start with the Arabian Maqamat that are compared with western music which have two modes only, the Major and Minor Scales.

The Major Scale prevails in Arabic music and is played on three different tonics. It’s played in the Key of Do (C), the Key of Fa (F) and the Key of Ti Flat (B flat). The Major scale played in the Key of Do (C) has a Persian name of “Mahoor” (Scale ). We notice here the closeness of the pronunciation of Major and Mahoor and there is no difference between these two modes other than lowering the note Ti (B) when descending in the (Scale ).

	Mahoor on C		Mahoor on G

G clef

Mahoor Ascending

G clef B flat
Mahoor Descending

It’s worth mentioning here, that the proliferation of Islamic culture has created a unity between Arabic, Turkish and Persian music and even Indian music. And because of this fact, we will, in our research, find names of Persian and Turkish origins. We are going to conclude this chapter with a musical piece in the Mahoor Mode (or Scale) by a Turkish composer Nicolai who lived in the Nineteenth century. This piece is of the form Samaii which we will discuss later on. (Samaii )

We will continue talking about Maqamat. We have discussed the Mode Mahoor, played on Do (C) with the usage of B flat when descending ( Scale), and here is another example of Mahoor, a poem by maestro Khumeis Ternaan, who lived from 1894 to 1964. The song was performed by the late Tunisian singer Saliha with the title (Hajara al habeeb wama dara min baadI hajrihi ma jara) translated to: The estranged lover left, but did not know what happened after he left. (Hajara Al habeeb )

The western Major scale is used in Arabic music and is played in the Key of Fa (F) (Scale ). In the Arab North Africa it, sometimes, takes on a pentatonic form where the two notes (E) and (B) are avoided. This Maqam is known in Algeria, Tunis and Libya by: “Al-Mazmoom”, and in Libya is, at times, known by: “Al-Muheir”, and in Morocco is known by “Hamdan”. (Taqseem Piano by Mustapha Iskendarani )

Here is an example of Al-Mazmoom Maqam, and it’s in the form of Barwal of “Noubat al-Mazmoom” which is of an Andalusian origin. (Barwal Singing )

Listen to full Examples

Watch & Listen to the Scale

Samaii Mahoor

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Maqam Jhar-Kah

In the Arab Middle East and Turkey Al-Mazmoom Maqam is compared to something called “Jhar Kah” (a Persian word meaning the fourth sound). This Maqam is different from Al-Mazmoom by lowering the note Mi (E) by a quarter step ( Scale ). This Maqam was used during the time of the Ottoman Sultan Saleem the Third for the reciting of the Quraan. This may explain the lack of use of this mode in traditional Arabic and Turkish music and singing, due to bad feelings of usage outside the reciting of the Quraan.

And here is an improvisation on the Qanoon by the Egyptian artist Fahmi Awadh as an example of Maqam Jhar-Kah. (Qanoon )

And here is another example, a Muwashah of Maqam “Jhar-kah” to conclude this chapter. (Muwashah song )

	Ajam on F		Rast on C

G clef

B flat

E half-flat

Maqam Jhar-Kah

Listen to the Maqam

Watch & Listen to the Scale

Violin		Maqam Jiharkah on F
Oud		Maqam Jiharkah on F
Buzuq		Maqam Jiharkah on F

Listen to full Samples:

Anta Sultan Elmilah: Sabah Fakhri

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Maqam Ajam
(Taqseem ) The third Arabic usage of the Major scale is in the Key of Ti flat (B flat) and is called “Ajam”, a word used to call anything that is not Arabic, as an Ajam. And here is an example of Maqam Ajam and at times called “Ajam Usheiran” when played on the lower octave of B flat.

And this song is composed by the Egyptian composer Seyyid Darweech, who died 1n 1923, and is sung by the legendary Feirouz.
The song is called Zuroony kuli Sana Marrah (Visit me once a year).

Another example of Maqam Ajam is a Samaii form, by the Turkish composer Misrili Ibraheem, 1872-1933. (Music ).

	Ajam on B		Ajam on F

G clef

B flat

E flat

B flat

Ajam Usheiran

Hear this Maqam:

Watch & Listen to the Scale

Violin		Maqam Ajam on B
Oud		Maqam Ajam on C
Buzuq		Maqam Ajam on B
Buzuq		Maqam Ajam on C
Buzuq		Maqam Ajam on F

Recording Samples:

Samaii Ajam

Taqseem Ajam-Qanoon

Listen to the Maqam samples courtesy of Maqam World
Listen to Full Examples Courtesy of Classical Arabic Music on the web
Video Examples courtesy of Traditional Arabic Music on the web

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