Maqam is the heart of Arabic music. If you want to sing in Arabic with feeling and accuracy, you need to know the maqamat not just as theory but as sounds you are familiar with and can sing. This article is a practical introduction to six core maqamat that are widely used in Arabic singing.

What is a maqam?

A maqam can be simplified as a scale, but it is more than that. A maqam is usually built from ajnas (singular jins), small groups of three to five notes, each with its own character. Each maqam also has a "sayr", or path: the notes a melody tends to start from, the notes it rests on, and how it moves away from and returns to the tonic. Some maqamat use quarter tones, notes that fall between the usual notes of Western music, written here as "half-flat".

Note: for simplicity, scales are written with Western note names on their common tonic. In singing, the maqam is moved to the pitch that suits your voice.

Maqam Rast

One of the pillars of Arabic music. On C: C, D, E half-flat, F, G, A, B half-flat, C. It is built from jins Rast on C and another jins Rast on G. Its character is balanced and clear, with a sense of dignity and quiet joy. The challenge for singers is to place E half-flat accurately, without drifting to E natural or E flat.

Maqam Bayati

One of the most widespread maqamat in Arabic singing, especially in folk and tarab songs. On D: D, E half-flat, F, G, A, B flat, C, D. Its main jins is Bayati on D. Its character is warm and intimate. Note that its second degree is also half-flat, so practise moving gently from the tonic to it.

Maqam Hijaz

Recognisable by the wide interval between its second and third notes. On D: D, E flat, F sharp, G, usually continuing with a jins on G. That wide step gives it a distinctly Eastern colour that listeners recognise immediately. Singers need to tune this step precisely, neither narrowing nor exaggerating it.

Maqam Saba

One of the most expressive maqamat for sorrow and longing. It begins on D: D, E half-flat, F, G flat. The lowered fourth (G flat) gives it its special character, and unlike many maqamat its scale does not repeat neatly at the octave. It is best learned after you are comfortable with Bayati, since the two share their opening notes.

Maqam Nahawand

Close in sound to the Western minor scale. On C: C, D, E flat, F, G, A flat, B flat or B natural depending on the path, C. It has no quarter tones, so it is often a comfortable entry point for those coming from a Western music background. Its character is romantic and nostalgic.

Maqam Kurd

On D: D, E flat, F, G, A, B flat, C, D. It starts with a half step between the tonic and the second note, which gives it a gentle, slightly sad colour. It is common in modern romantic songs, and like Nahawand it has no quarter tones.

How singers can practise maqamat

Start with the jins before the full scale: sing the first four notes of the maqam slowly until they settle in your ear.
Use a drone: sing over the tonic from an oud or a phone app to hear how each note relates to it.
Listen a lot: choose recordings in the same maqam and notice how the singer enters, rests and closes the phrase (qafla).
Record yourself: compare what you sang with a reference pitch, especially on quarter tones.
One maqam at a time: live with a maqam for a week or more before moving on.

Why a teacher helps at this stage

Quarter tones and the fine differences between maqamat are hard to get right from reading alone. A teacher who sings or plays with you and corrects pitch in the moment shortens the path considerably. In Arabic singing lessons at Wael's Arabesque we work through the maqamat step by step, with the oud, in a way that suits your voice and level.

An Introduction to Arabic Maqamat for Singers: Rast, Bayati, Hijaz, Saba, Nahawand and Kurd