Maqam Nahawand
      
          We now move on to the Arabic Maqamat that are equivalent to the Minor scale which are also Three.  They are played on the Tonic of Do (C), Re (D) and Sol (G).  These are known in Arabic singing as Nawa, (Scale ).  The one which is played on the Tonic of Do (C), is of a Persian origin and is known by the name “Nahawand”. This mode is equivalent to the two western Minor scales, where the third and sixth notes are lowered (flattened) when ascending.  Then the seventh note is lowered when descending, as shown in this (Scale ).  The first example for the Nahawand Maqam is an improvisation on the Qanoon by the Moroccan composer Ibraheem Salih. (Taqseem Qanoon  ) 
 

 In Iran this Maqam is called “Esfahaan” as in the name of the old capital of Persia.  Here is an example by the Iranian Artist Dhareef, which is an improvisation on an instrument called Tar.  (Taqseem on Tar ) 

Watch & Listen to the Scale

Taqseem Nahawand: Oud
Taqseem Nahawand: Qanoon
Samaii Nahawand
Longa Nahawand
Muwashah Quom Ya Nadeem: Sabah Fakhri

Maqam Busaliek and Egyptian Ushshaq

       (Taqseem  ) Now we introduce the Minor scale in the Key of Re (D).  In Tunisia they call it “Muheiar Sikah”, and in Algeria it’s called “Alsahili”, and in Turkey it’s known as “Busaliek” (the thin Veil), and in Egypt it’s known as “Al-Ushaq” (the lovers) with a minor change to the sixth note where it’s lowered by a quarter of a step instead of a half step (Flat).  And here is an improvisation on the Oud as an example of the Egyptian Ushaq (Oud ).  The word Ushaq has a different meaning in Morocco, and we will talk about it in different section of this documentary. 

Maqam Murassaa

And now we move on to talk about the Tunisian Maqam “Muheiar Sikah”, which contains movements of the Murassaa (a flattened fifth note) and exemplified by this song by the Tunisian singer Saliha. (Song  ). 
 

Watch & Listen to the Scale
 

Maqam Farah Faza

After the tonics of Do and Re, the western Minor scale appears in Arabic music on the tonic of Sol (G) and specially in Turkish music, where it’s called “Farah Faza” (much joy) and here is it’s scale (Scale on the Oud ).  Here is an example of Farah Faza:  A Samaii by the Turkish composer Jameel Bey (1871-1925) (Samaii  ).  And with a minor change to the seventh note of Farah Faza, the name changes to “Sultan-Yakah”, and here is an example (a Bashraf) by the Turkish composer Subhi Aarif Bey (1862-1911).  (Bashraf  )

Dulab Farah Faza
Bashraf Farah Faza
Longa Farah Faza
Samaii Farah Faza
Taqseem Farah Faza: Qanoon

Maqam Nawa Athar

And now we listen to the Nawa Athar Tetra chord (sample ) then Hijaz Tetra chord (sample ), and with this we obtain Maqam Nawa Athar, which contains Nawathir Tetra chord on Do (C) followed by Hijaz Tetra chord on Sol (G), then another Nawathir Tetra chord on the upper Do (C).

Here is a sample of Maqam Nawathir Ascending and descending (sample ).  Here is a Muwashah that exemplifies Nawathir: (song  )

Watch & Listen to the Scale

Violin: Nawa Athar on C
Oud  : Nawa Athar on C
Buzuq: Nawa Athar on C

Dulab Nawa Athar
Muwashah: Uthkur Alhoub
Samaii Nawa Athar
Taqseem Nawa Athar-Oud
Taqseem Nawa Athar-Qanoon

Maqam Nakreez
            Maqam Nawathir has a close relative Maqam called Nakreez.  This New Maqam differs from Nawathir in its second Tetra chord (sample ) which becomes Nahawand (sample ) on Sol (G) (sample  ), instead of Hijaz on this tonic (sample ). And that’s how Maqam Nakreez sounds (sample ). Here is an example, a song by The well Known Egyptian composer Muhammad Abdilwahhab. (song ).

The second example of Nakreez is a Turkish musical piece by Hajji Aarif Bey who died in 1911.  The Nakreez Maqam was introduced to the Balkan area through the Turkish domination of that part of the world, and here is an example (Taqseem on Roman flute ).  The  Nakreez Maqam was used extensively in modern compositions, and here is an example of it, the third movement of Violin Concerto by Dr. Salih Almehdi. (Violin )

Watch & Listen to the Scale

Dulab Nakreez

Tetra chords

Now that we have finished comparing the Arabic Maqamat that are comparable to the Major and Minor Scales, and the Kurdi Maqam and it’s varieties.  We continue talking about other Maqamat that can be played by Western Instruments.  Before we start, let us review some of the Tetra chords that we have covered so far.    

The following is a listing of Tetra chords of the most popular Maqams that are played on Western instruments:

The Mahoor Tetra chord that is equivalent to the Major scale (sample )

The Nahawand Tetra chord that is equivalent to the Minor scale (sample )

The Kurdi Tetra chord (sample )

And now let us get familiar with a Tetra chord called Nawathir, which is obtained by raising the fourth note of Nahawand Tetra chord (sample )

)