Click Below to watch the
Maqam Rast Presentation

Maqam Rast

      The Rast Maqam is considered the most popular and important Maqam in the Arab East.  It has a Rast Tetra chord on Do (C) ( Sample ), and another Rast Tetra chord on Sol (G) (Sample ), and a third Rast on (C2)(Sample  ).  The forgoing progression is for ascending the Rast Maqam.  However, upon descending, its second Tetra chord becomes a Nahawand Tetra chord on Sol (G).  This arrangement includes a 30% lowered Me and Ti (B) ascending, and a 30% lowered Me( E) and a flattened Ti (B flat) (Sample  ).  Here is an improvisation on the Oud in “Rast” Maqam. (Oud improvisation ), and here is a “Bashraf” in “Rast” Maqam by the Turkish Armenian Composer Tatius.  This Bashraf was very popular through out the Arab world prior to the 50’s of the last century. (Bashraf-Rast ) 

(Oud ) We continue talking about the Rast Maqam, as the saying goes in the East: If your evening is long, then you better use Rast.  This is due to the abundance of traditional songs written in this mode.  And here is an example:  A Turkish song (Song ) 

Bashraf Rast- Tatius Afandi
Samaii Rast - Tatius Afandi
Muwashah Hayyara Alafkar-
Sabah Fakhri
Taqseem Rast- George Michel
Taqseem Rast- Andre Al-Hage
Taqseem Rast- Munir Bashir
Taqseem Rast-Saliba Al-Qatrieb
Dulab-Taqseem Ney-Qasidah
Orientalia

   Maqam Suznak

Of the “Rast” Maqam Variety is the “Suznak” Maqam, which is of a Persian origin, and means the painful.  The “Suznak” differs from “Rast” in its second Tetra chord, which is a “Hijaz” Tetra chord on Sol (G) (Sample ).  And that is how “Suznak” sounds (Scale ).  We introduce this Eastern Muwashah as an example of this Maqam.   (Muwashah Ahinnu Shouqan )(Translated: longing). 
 

Samaii Suznak: Tatius Afandi

Maqam Saz Kar

The second variety of Rast is the “Saz Kar” Maqam, which has its second note raised (sharp)
 (Scale ). 

Maqam Neirouz

The third variety of “Rast” is “Neirouz”, which differs from “Rast” by having the second Tetra chord as a “Bayati” Tetra chord on Sol (G) (Sample  ) and the whole Maqam sounds as follows (Scale ).  Next is an old Muwashah for an example of “Neirouz”.   (Muwashah: Yahilalan Ghaba Anni Wa-ihtajab ). 
 

Maqam Muheiar Iraq

If we move the “Rast Neirouz” Tonic to Sol (G), then we have a “Rast” on Sol (G) (Scale ), and a “Bayati” on Re(D2) (Scale ).  And now we have obtained a new Maqam which, in Tunisia, is called “Muheiar Iraq”, and in Algeria is called “Iraq”, and there is no difference between these two other than the note below the Tonic, where it’s raised in Tunisia (Scale ) and natural Fa in Algeria (Scale ).  Our example on “Muheir Iraq” is a song by the singer Raul Jurnu (Raul Jurnu ). 

Maqam Dernisheen

The fourth variety of “Rast” is the “Dernisheen” Maqam and is different from Rast by having a Saba Tetra chord on the Tonic La (A) (Sample ), and that is what this Maqam sounds like (Scale ).  And here is an example of this Maqam: An Old Muwashah by the Syrian Composer Abu-Khalil Al-Qabbani who lived until the early part of last century. (Muwashah: Sahi Khabbir Fatera Al-Ajfani aan wajdi )   

(Taqseem on Flute )  We concluded our last session by talking about the “Rast” Maqam and its varieties.  We introduced the “Rast” Maqam (Scale ), the “Susznak” Maqam (Scale ), the “Saz Kar” Maqam (Scale ), the “Nayrooz” Maqam (Scale ) and the “Dernisheen” (Scale ).  The “Rast” is known in Arab North Africa by the name Istihlaal, and it was said that the Musician who established it, was known by Allal Al Batala in the sixteenth century.  This same Maqam once we play it another Tetra chord below its Tonic becomes a Turkish Maqam known as “Rahawi” (Scale ), and here is an improvisation example (Flute Taqseem  ).  If we play the Rast an octave higher than its usual Tonic (C1) then it becomes “Rast Kardaan”, and here is a Muwashah as an example. (Muwashah: Heiara Al Afkara Badri ).   

Maqam Rast El-Theel

      The “Rast” Maqam as we have studied it represents one of two varieties of “Rast El-Theel” as known in Tunisia, and here is a Muwashah as an example (Atalta alhajra ya Badri ). We were listening to the second variety of “Rast El-Theel” which is equal to the Rast in the Arab East and the “Estihlaal” in Morocco.  However, the first variety of “Rast El-Theel” has the third note, Me (E), lowered by 40%, and the fourth note, Fa (F), raised half step (#).  This Maqam’s other tetra chords are identical to that of Rast.  And this Maqam is used in Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco, where the fourth note is alternated between natural and sharp (Sample ).  Here is an example of this Maqam; A Tunisian Song, of the Fuondu style, sung by the Tunisian Singer Saliha. (Saliha ) 
 

Maqam Al-Mayah 

(Taqseem flute 1)  We continue with Maqamat that are varieties of the Rast Maqam.  We introduce to you a new Maqam called “Almaya” Maqam as is known in Morocco, and of it, there is a complete Nawbah of the Andalusian origin.  It’s said that this Maqam’s influence gets intensified by Dawn in Tunisia, and because of that parties are always ending by dawn.

The Al-Maya Maqam is equal to Rast with the following exceptions: 

1. The prominence of the third note Mi (E) which is lowered by 30% (Scale )
2. The seventh note is completely flat ascending and descending (Scale )
3. The prominence of the Mazmoom Maqam when descending (Scale )

Here is an improvisation on the flute to show characters of the Maya Maqam ( Flute ).

Here is another example of the traditional Nawbah on this Maqam ( Hazza Alnaseem ).

And with this example, we have completed our discussion of the “Rast” Maqam and all its varieties.