jins ajam 1:17 Nahawand aka Busalik 1:44 Kurd 2:07 Hijaz 2:32 Rast 2:55 Saba 3:25 extra: jins Bayati 4:12 Segah 4:28 thank you for this, I took the frets off a guitar and am experimenting with various microtonal music
You're welcome. That's just the beginning. There are other subtle differences, like conventional modulations, and direction of melody, starting note and ending note, etc which add another level of complexity. Maqams can't be reduced to a one line definition but nevertheless you got it, that's the beginning.
Thank you very much for share this lesson. I'm a brazillian guitarist (Blues/Rock) but I'm love eastern music (but the people don't know about eastern music here in Brazil). We play using minor harmonic scale, but it's different (very different). I'm looking for information about eastern music for years, and now I finally understand (a little bit). Maqam, Mini Scales, it's open my mind now :D (sorry to my bad english, we don't speak english in Brasil). Thank you
Thank you so much for taking the time to teach this. It's been so hard to find comprehensive instruction on traditional Middle Eastern scales! I write rock music, and usually people are like, "Just use the Phrygian Dominant scale," but the use of that scale really limits a guitarist with what they can do. I am really focusing on these traditional scales to incorporate them into my songwriting to create a very unique sound. Thank you again!
I have fallen in love with oud music and I would like to play it. I play guitar and a few other stringed instruments, and have been trying to copy the scales and makams on ukulele!
I'm egyption, love that so much, i'm getting a new oud soon like tommorrow or sth, and i'm going to teach myself, so hopefully your videos will help me, thankyou brother
Very interesting! As I am familiar with the classical western concept of musci theory your explanation was extremely helpful to gain better understanding for maqam music! As I am preparing a music class about the use of different scales internationally this was a very useful complement! Thank you!
This has been so helpful! You are a godsend. I have been doing a lot of research on maqam, but the more I learned the more confused I was. This really helped clear things up. Thanks!!
THANK YOU. I've been reading books about maqam and I couldn't for the life of me grasp what they meant by "important intervals"... I understand now! ...Now, back to my bachelor :)
there was once a time I realized that a Major scale in western music, could be like broken down into fragmented scales like if you split the c scale in half at G, you would like get 2 fragmented major scales in a sense considering the way that you think about and approach music in this tradition and way It makes me very interested and I just want to learn more thanks for explaining this it seems to be just the tip of the ice berg in a way
Thanks so much for this lesson! You broke down note just maqams but quarter tones really well. I will be using this as a music educator, thanks so much!!
I bought yesterday my Oud and i am beginning now to play it with this 6 Scales! If you have any tipps for after that, I will be happy to hear about them, best regards
My love for that scale and its modes is what led me here! It's exciting to be able to identify similarities/differences in the music of various cultures, as a non-music major. I always wondered why I liked classical music with Hungarian, Jewish, or Spanish elements. Turns out the Hungarian minor scale is derived from the double harmonic major scale, and the others use variations of the phrygian dominant scale with flattened second scale degrees. Harmonic intervals are my favorite, and it always disappointed me that they're not emphasized more in western music. Most research always took me to modal jazz :( I'm thankful to be able to learn about the maqam scales here in such an easy to learn format, as an English speaker!
Navid, could you maybe do a Jin’s by Jin’s presentation on the “inflections” of each note and and how this ornamentation distinguishes one madam from another?
Hmm, I'm trying to understand your suggestion... What I understand to be inflections could be a countless number... The inflections also depend on the mechanics of the instrument being played. However there do tend to be a particular way of making a jins "sound" the way it should. Am I getting close to what you're talking about?
I didnt get the name of the year program that you mentioned. And is it suitable for singers too. If not, do you know of a GOOD Makam program for singers?
When I talk to oud players, they often refer to a note using the do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do system. Does "do" change depending on what key you are in, or is it always the C note? Also, do you use this system when teaching the oud?
I use both systems depending on what my student is accustomed to. This is called the solfege system. "Do" doesn't change often for Arabic and Persian players. Do is Do and corresponds to Western C. The exception is when the Oud is tuned down... then "do" might sound as low as B flat or B natural. So "do" refers to a position on the fingerboard. For Turkish musicians however, "do" can change pitch a lot. Turkish notation style and convention is a whole other can of worms. It took me a long time to get used to it. The main benefit of the Turkish approach is that everyone is comfortable transposing on the spot if they have to play in a different key to accommodate an instrument or singer. However, string instruments might change the tuning of the open strings or only the bass strings to enable the optimal fingerings. Notation is more straightforward in that you can write one piece in a certain maqam and that can be used for all instruments regardless of key. For example, you will always see maqam Hijaz written with the same key signature and scale in Turkish pieces. And this applies to all maqams.
Thanx so much for this. I love this stuff. I’ve always had a craving for these sounds. I play them and don’t even have a system. I just get the feeling that I want to hear certain intervals and let it fly. I’m sure it’s from hearing this stuff but still, they always seemed most desirable even when I’m playing western music I just want to move into this.
Hi Navid, first of all, thank you for all these great videos! I have some problem figuring out which tuning u are in. as far as i can see, the first note (C from ajam) you are playing on the 5th! string of the oud is this right? i have my oud tuned to CGADGC like you suggest in the oud tuning video, but there the C on the 5th string is way more up the neck then you play it here in this video. can you help me with this? thank u. chris
On my quartertone electric, I think of almost all of this as: split the minor third in half in places where it occurs. (A half-way between minor/phrygian). E natural in the context of Saba would be called "F flat" in piano notation.
I've just been given a Glissentar, but already had a good Moroccan large six-course oud - just never really got to grips with the string tensions. Thanks to your videos I was able to play along on the oud to one or two more familiar patterns, and now I need to decide whether to stick with DADGBE (how I play guitar) on the Glissentar or use an oud tuning.
In each maqam there is a lower jin and upper jin. The lower jin generally stays the same, but the upper jin (most often starting a 4th or 5th above the "tonic") can change. So in a performance of maqam rast, you might find the scales: C D E- F G A B- c C D E- F G Ab B c C D E- F G Ab BB c etc... In essence, yes you can change between maqam (or sub-maqam), but there are certain pathways you have to follow. On the classical/orchestral side there are compositions with some pretty complex "modulations." On the modern/pop side, not so much.
I have to compose or record myself singing a scale of my choice for my music theory class, I'm unsure how to start. I chose Maqam Ajam. I am reading up on it on an article my teacher posted and it talks about Jins. Are the jins the type of scales in that family, in my case the Maqam Ajam family. And can I use them together as long as I use the scales correctly? If anyone can give me some advice I would be so greatful :). Thanks guys!
There is a very good book out: "Makamlar: The Musical Scales of Turkey" very good written and easy to understand, even with the differences between arabic and turkish scales. I learned playing fretless guitar from that book. You do great videos. At least videos not arabic, turkish speaking people can understand. I'll keep stealing licks :o)
I have three questions: - when you add ajnaas to the first jins, the tone interval between the last note and the new one is always a fixed amount?; - how many new ajnaas can you add in new tones (4 notes + 4 notes in a new tone + ...); - in a maqam can you put different ajnaas (I mean, a sabaa + a bayatii + a second sabba + a nahawand. and so on..) or in a maqam the ajnaas are always from the same family? Thanks for your videos, are really helpful.
Thanks for your questions. 1. usually the 4th note is the starting point of another jins, or a whole tone above the 4th note of the first jins. 2. I don't think there is a limit, but most instruments don't have more than 3 octaves. But it has to be done in a way that makes sense in the tradition. It's like a language, I can't string a bunch of grammatical structures together and expect it to make sense or be understood. 3. A family of maqams are generally grouped together because the first jins is the same. Some ajnas don't combine with in the same way as others do. My suggestion for you at this point of your understanding is to listen to source material and compile examples for yourself so you can try to copy the source material.
Wow. If only we could get these for Asia Minor music played by Armenians, Greeks and Turks also called Turkish oud. But apparently, something as fundamental as where to play the tetrachord and pentachord for beginners that make up the makamlar is made complicated by never playing what we can read on sheet music, if we can read it at all.
In hijaz tetrachord D flat is 4 commas and e is 1 comma flat (4 commas with an accidental). These are *not* the same sounds in a kurd tetrachord (Dflat 5 commas) or ajem tetracord (Natural e or five commas with an accidental).
I'm not sure actually. There is a decent guide book on Turkish makam that I use, but it has some peculiarities. It's called Turkish Music Makam Guide by Murat Aydemir. I recommend learning it and playing it in practice, and just trying to copy what others are doing melodically. My musical education was completely devoid of theory when I studied Persian music from a young age, and I learned the tradition completely fine. Theory was unnecessary. "Inside Arabic Music" is a good book that will acquaint you with Arabic music, but some of the maqam ideas presented in the book are novel and I think they take the concept of jins/ajnas a bit too far to a point that I don't agree with some parts.
One doubt brother, As in Indian music we have 10 Modes (Called as 'Thaat' in Hindustani Music) like 7 Modes of Western Music. So, Maqamat Arabic Music Modes? And Ajnas are derived scales from Maqamat like Major Pentatonic derived from Major scale? So, actually what is the difference between Maqamat and Ajnas?😊
In a nutshell, maqamat is what happens when the ajnas interact with each other. Ajnas are just a way of looking at the parts that build a maqam. Maqam and mode can be interchangeable terms sometimes.
In the modes of the harmonic minor, phrygian dominant is like hijaz and dorian #4 is like nikriz. But it's not like one has roots in the other but that both have shared roots.
i have a question - why did you say the jins bayati must start on D? Is it given a different name if you transpose the whole thing to start on C? (so it would be C, D half flat, E flat, F)
If jins Rast starts on C in "standard" tuning, you can derive jins bayati on the second degree which can be no other note than D. That might be what I meant. 80 percent of the time bayati is played on the 3rd course D. But yes, everything is transposable. Absolute pitch is fairly irrelevant in middle Eastern music. However, open strings are significant on stringed instruments and bayati usually starts on an open string.
It depends on the Oud... I recommend experimenting with different string sets to see what sound and feel you like. But I have Aquila on one of my ouds, Daddario on another and la bella for high f tuning on another.
OudforGuitarists thanks for your reply. It is a Zeryab Oud from Syria. The strings are very slack in middle..I play mostly European lutes, Renaissance baroque. Is it usual to have low tension on an Oud? I have another Oud of lesser quality with the Aquila Arabic strings and sound great but are much heavier..
@@andrewmaginley5691 yes, most Arabic string sets are made for longer string length, like 60cm or 61.5 cm to my knowledge. So it could be you need a little higher for that oud. You can try pyramid strings, or kurschner made for 58.5 cm string length. Are you in the USA? If so check oudstrings.com and contact them if you need help. They have customized sets and can do something specific to your needs.
OudforGuitarists I am in the U.K. I have ordered a pyramid set to see what’s it like. I know Aquila well as I use them for lute strings( nylgut) and nylon loaded red strings. The Arabic oud set has a loaded third course. It is kind in the heavy side. Thank you very much I am really enjoying your videos!
what about maqam hijaz ? not hijaz kar ? i mean how to make maqam hijaz in one octave ? hopefully you can reply this comment because i'm doing research for maqam on my new composition now :) thank you
Diya Farhan Hey, if you know aeolian(not sure about the spelling), or natural minor scale, it's easy to convert. for example, A natural minor: A B C D E F G A. converting to Hijaz: A A# C# D E F G A. you simply sharpen the third note and flatten the second note... cheers!
You never make chords, this music is melodic, not harmonic. The only chords that occur support and reiterate the tonal center of the mode, such as 1st degree, 4th degree, sometimes 3rd degree, and usually 5th.
I'm Arab bro, and altough i'm surrounded by oud player, nobody taught me. I just buy it and learn it completely from internet, going to mikeoud.com (highly recommended for oud lover) for resources, train my ear by tuning without tuner, a LOT exercises, practice with song etc, until i can just play a song just by listen to it. It's been 8 months and this saturday night is my first real performance with audience. Now i bought and learn guitar, it's a lot harder.
That's a very difficult request. Others might want him to translate to their own language too. The Brazilians, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic etc. I think , proper english translation is enough. ( not the google auto english)
thank you for your wonderful video. but we dont need to compare with Western music, why we always need to compare with what so called 'Western'.. every culture in this world is amazing! - and no more exoticism!
Yes, but I think Navi’s and I agree that learning a new musical system is like learning a second language. To get started at all, you compare what you’re learning to what you already know. Your new language to your native language.
And here is how to spell them in Arabic: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_maqam#Maqam_families I read there that Ajam means Persians and I guess Kurd means Kurds. I would like to know the meaning of the other words.
I guess I can say whatever I want, but yes I got in trouble for this from a very passionate religious Jew! He was not impressed with my comparison. I told him, "I'm not even Jewish, why are you telling me this?". It's a byproduct of growing up in hollywood blockbuster culture. These types of modes are always used in devilish scenes, or evil scenes. It's impossible not to make associations. Just watch Disney's Fantasia (the old one), and you'll see what I mean. But for the record, there is nothing demonic about Hijaz. But who knows... it depends on who you talk to ;)
Daemon referred to inspirationa l or ones voice of concience or inspiration l,so daemonic would be fitting. I don't think gnostics or Greek heretics or heterodox Greek speaking mystics would be troubled by your use of daemonic. Please use jintastic in a video at some point :-D I find makam hicaz inspiring };-)