14 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
View submission: What is the real difference between a maqam and scale?
Hey, I'll try to give a not so long answer but try to bring a little of the main components of the maqam. I'm not an expert, but I've studied with a very capable teacher and think I can help. If anyone more knowledgable than me sees something wrong or want to complement, please do it. Let's go!
A maqam is divided into smaller scales, called jin (plural ajna), they can be a trichord, a tetrachord and more rarely a pentachord. This is important because when playing a maqam, you never go playing all the notes of the scale, it's also important to note that they are points when modulations can occur to become a new maqam.
Also important is the seyir/sayir, which is the melodic direction that the maqam should go, it can be ascending, descending ornascending-descending. Seyir is common in both arabic maqam and turkish makam, but it's more "free" in the arabic form. In the turkish makam, different makam can have the same notes and ajna, but the seyir is different.
Alas, last but not least, there is the flavor/mood, or çesni in the turkish tradition, I don't remember the arabic term right now. It's the mood that each maqam should bring to the player and listener, it consists of common phrases passed though generations of musicians, learned by oral tradition and consistent listening and immersion into the music. I think it's one of the most interesting aspects of the maqam system, because it's deeply tied to the local culture, almost as if a maqam is a pathway that's built into the collective unconscious of said people for playing this specific mood/flavor. At the same time, improvisation is highly encouraged and good improviser are cherished, I think one of the highest points a performer can reach is seeing that an spontaneous phrase he "created" is being played and developed by others.
I think this covers most of it, as I said, I'm no expert yet, and I've studied more thru the turkish lens atm.
Morning Edit: forgot to highlight something, arabic and turkish music also use microtonality, and this plays in the maqamat too, arabs got about 24 intervals in one octave, while turkish music can have up to 53 intervals. They do love their microtones.
Also, one important part regarding the mood that I would like to make more clear is how knowing the melodic phrases of each maqam is fundamental. You could take the maqam hijaz, for example, and play it's notes as you feel and how you would like without considering any of the phrases that are traditionally related to it. Would it still be hijaz? I understand that most listeners wouldn't consider it hijaz, even if it's the same notes, so the use of known phrases is also important even though there is a lot of room for improvisation.
Comment by World_Musician at 10/09/2024 at 15:17 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
maqam is a pathway that's built into the collective unconscious
This is the kind of stuff I like to think about :)
Comment by FistBus2786 at 10/09/2024 at 12:31 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
That's really informative, thank you. I had heard the term maqam before but didn't know what it meant - like the OP, I imagined it means like a scale. But now I see there's a deeper concept and cultural context.
I like that improvization is valued and the melodic vocabulary grows over generations.
About flavor/mood, it sounds a bit similar to "raga" in Indian music? I heard there are certain raga that's suitable for morning time, or depending on the season, etc.