maqam
A system of melodic modes in Arabic and Turkish music that defines not only a scale but characteristic melodic movements, ornamentation, and emotional associations.
In Depth
Maqam (Arabic for "place" or "station," plural maqamat) is a modal system governing melody in Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, and Central Asian classical music. Like the Indian raga, a maqam is far more than a scale — it prescribes specific intervals (including microtonal intervals not found in Western music), characteristic melodic phrases, a hierarchy of important notes, typical modulation paths, and an associated emotional or spiritual quality.
The Arabic maqam system includes over 70 named maqamat, though about 12 to 15 are in common use. Turkish makam and Persian dastgah are related but distinct systems. A key feature distinguishing maqam from Western scales is the use of quarter tones and other microtonal intervals — the Arabic maqam Bayati, for instance, uses an interval of approximately three-quarter tones that has no equivalent in Western music. This microtonal richness gives Arabic music its characteristic melodic flavor and explains why it cannot be accurately notated or performed using standard Western tuning.
Some maqamat use intervals of three-quarter tones — exactly between a Western half step and whole step — which is why Arabic music often sounds "out of tune" to Western ears, though it is precisely tuned to a different system.