Maqam
A maqam is a melodic model of Arabic music, called makam in Turkey. It combines a particular scale with characteristic melodic formulas, typical starting and closing notes and an expression of its own. Many maqamat use notes that lie between the keys of a piano, for example three-quarter-tone steps.
- Meaning
- Arabic: “place, position”
- Consists of
- note collection + melodic formulas + expression
- Peculiarity
- quarter tones in many maqamat
- Well-known examples
- Rast, Bayati, Hijaz, Ajam, Nahawand
More than a scale
A maqam is not only a note collection. It also fixes where a melody begins, which notes it stresses, how it develops and where it ends. Musicians improvise within this frame. There are rules for how the melody develops, for changes to related maqamat and for the return to the tonic. The term is related to the Western mode but goes further: a scale alone does not yet determine a maqam.
Hijaz on D: complete in European notation
The augmented second E♭–F♯ (marked) is the mark of the Hijaz. This maqam gets by without quarter tones; it can be written in European notation and played approximately on a piano.
Ajam on C: like major
In its note sequence Ajam corresponds to the Western major scale.
Nahawand on C: like minor
In its note sequence Nahawand corresponds to the natural minor scale. In practice a raised sixth or seventh often occurs (harmonic or melodic minor).
In the glossary: Scale · Church mode · Mela
What can be shown in notation
The three maqamat Hijaz, Ajam and Nahawand shown above can be rendered in European notation, though the intonation of the individual degrees may differ somewhat depending on the tradition. Many others use quarter tones, so steps that lie between the keys of a piano. Rast, for example, has a third that lies between E and E♭. In Arabic theory these notes are often described as quarter tones of a 24-step system. The actual intonation varies by region, tradition and player. The signs ¼↓ in the table are an aid to understanding, no replacement for notation.
| Maqam | Note sequence | Peculiarity |
|---|---|---|
| Rast (on C) | C D E¼↓ F G A B¼↓ C | third and seventh are a quarter tone low: the third lies between E and E♭, the seventh between B and B♭ |
| Bayati (on D) | D E¼↓ F G A B♭ C D | second degree a quarter tone low |
| Hijaz (on D) | D E♭ F♯ G A B♭ C D | augmented second, no quarter tones |
| Ajam | like major | no quarter tones |
| Nahawand | like natural minor | no quarter tones |
That is why the listening notation lines show only the three maqamat without quarter tones. If you want to hear Rast or Bayati, you have to listen to an instrument that can play quarter tones, such as the oud, the violin or the voice.
Distinctions
Different maqamat can have the same note collection. Two maqamat with the same scale differ in their melodic formulas, their notes of emphasis and their way of expression. And between maqam and Western key there is a difference of purpose: the key is closely tied to harmony, the maqam to melody-making.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
ScaleChurch modeMelaModeImprovisationAugmented secondSemitone
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
← Back to the glossary