Ajnas Name:

Is Like:

Pattern:

Info:


Ajnas in bold correspond exactly to the mentioned scales’ first few intervals and are thus directly comparable.
The names are Arabic expect where mentioned as Turkish.

Ajam Trichord  Bb

Major

101011

Third note (D) tuned slightly lower. Called Jahar Kah when in F, Ushayran in Bb, Ajam in C(?) Leading tone is always ½ step (Bb: A Bb).

Cargah Tetrachord C
(Turkish)

Major

101011

Appears in Turkish Sytem. Straight Major, no micro tuning.

Cargah Penatachord C
(Turkish)

Major

10101101

Pentachord version of Cargah Tetrachord.

Jiharkah Trichord F

Major

10101 
10110

Third note (A) tuned slightly lower than Ajam, so is the Bb (very slightly). The leading tone is usually an E½b, not an E. It really is in a category by itself.

Mahoor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rast Tetrachord C

Rast Major/Minor/

101011
101101

Third note (E) is flattend by ¼ tone. Called Yekah when in G. Common. Leading tone always ¾ step (C: B½b C),

Rast Tetrachord G (Turkish)

Major-Like

101011

Rast in Turkish System, starts on G, and third note is flat by 1 comma only, making it more major like.

Rast Pentachord G (Turkish)

Major-Like

10101101

Pentachord version of Rast Tetrachord. thus the third note is flat by 1 comma.

 

 

 

 

Sikah Trichord Eb/E

Major/Ussak

10101
01101

First note (E) is flattend by ¼ tone. Leading tone is either ¾ step or ¼ step (E½b: D E½b or D# E½b).

Sikah Tetrachord Eb/E

Ussak-like

1010101
0110101

First note (E) is flattend by ¼ tone. Called Farahnak in Bb. Common.

Huzam Tetrachord Eb/E

Major-like

101011
011011 

First note (E) is flattend by ¼ tone. Called Rahat al-Arwah in Bb.

Iraq Tetrachord Eb/E

Major/Ussak-like

1010101
0110101


101011
011011

First note (E) is flattend by ¼ tone. Fourth note (A) is flattend by ¼ tone.

 

 

 

 

Mustaar Trichord Eb/E

Segiah/Minor

10011
01011

First note (E) is flattend by ¼ tone. Uncommon. Sounds nice with full step leading tone.

Mustear Pentachord B
(Turkish)

Mel./Harm./Nat. Minor

10110101

First Note (G) and Fourth (C) note is flat by 1 comma. Sounds nice with ½ step leading tone.

 

 

 

 

Sipahr Tetrachord F 

Saba

10111

No quarter tones or comma tunings.

Saba Tetrachord D 

Sabah-
Neveseri -Like

10111
11011

Second note (E) is flattend by ¼ tone. First three notes are partial Bayati. Leading tone is always a whole step (D: C D).

Saba Tetrachord A
(Turkish)

Sabah-
Minor-Like

101110
101101

Second Note (B) is flat by 1 comma, Fourth note (D) is flat by ¼ tone.

Zamzama Tetrachord D

Neveseri / Ussak Arabiko

11011

Western version of Sabah where second note is flat (Eb). First Three note are partial Kurd. Uncommon.

Huzzam Pentachord B
(Turkish)

Zamzam-
Ussak

11011001
11010101

First Note (B) is flat by 1 comma, Fourth note (D) is flat by ¼ tone. This is the Pentachord Version of the Arabic Zamzama Tetrachord it seems.

 

Hijaz Tetrachord D
(a.k.a. Shahnaz)

Hijaz

110011
110101

Second note (Eb) tuned up a bit, Third (F#) tuned down a bit. Called  Hijaz Kar when in C, Suzidil in A, Shadd Araban in G. Common. Leading tone is either ½ or whole step (D: C# D or C D; A: usually G# A).

Hijaz Tetrachord A (Turkish)

Hijaz-Major-Like

110011
101011

Hijaz in Turkish System, starts on A, and the second note (B) is tuned flat by full ¼ tone, different from than Arabic Hijaz where it is fully flat becoming the preceding note (e.g. E to Eb).

Hijaz Pentachord A (Turkish)

Hijaz-Major-Like

11001101
10101101

The second note (B) is tuned flat by full ¼ tone. Pentachord version of Hijaz Tetrachord.

Segah Tetrachord A (Turkish)

Hijaz-Minor-Like

110011
101101

Second note (B) is flattend by ¼ tone. Third Note (C) is sharp by ¼ tone. Appears in Turkish Sytem.

 

 

 

 

Nahawand Tetrachord C

Minor

101101

Called Buselik in Turkish system and when in D. Leading Tone usually ½ step (C: A B C or Ab B C).

Buselik Tetrachord A
(Turkish)

Minor

101101

Buselik in Turkish System, starts on A, and is a straight minor without the flat third note. Called Farahfaza in G.

Buselik Alt. Tetrachord C
(a.k.a. Ushaq)

Minor

101101
101001

Third note (Eb) is tuned slightly (1/9) lower.

Buselik Pentachord A
(Turkish)

Harm. /
Nat. Minor

10110101

Pentachord version of Turkish Buselik Tetrachord.

Bayati Tetrachord D

Minor-Ussak-Like

101101
110101

Second note (E) is flat by ¼ tone. Common. Leading tone is always a whole step (D: C D).

 

 

 

 

Nawa Athar Pentach. C
(a.k.a. Nikriz)

Romaniko

10110011

First three notes are like Nahawand, last three notes often used to start Hijaz (D) tetrachord. Called Hisar when in D. Leading tone is often ½ step, occasionally a whole step (D: C# D).

Nawathir Pentach. C

Niavent

1011001

Much the same as Nawa Athar Pentachord.

Nikriz Penatachord G
(Turkish)

Lydian
Romaniko

10101011
10110011

Third note (B) is flat by ¼ tone. This is almost the Lydian mode.

Pencgah Pentachord G
(Turkish)

Lydian

10101011

These intervals give us the beginning of the Lydian mode.

 

 

 

 

Kurd Tetrachord D

Ussak

110101

Called Kiurdi in Turkish sytem, starting on A.

Kiurdi Pentachord A
(Turkish)

Neva-Ussak/ Ussak

11010101

These intervals occur in a lot of scales, e.g. modes of major scale. They also form the begining of the b2 Dorian mode of Melodic Minor. Called Ferahnak in F#.

Segah Pentachord B
(Turkish)

Neva-Ussak/ Ussak

11010101

First Note (B) and Fourth note (E) is flat by 1 comma.

Athar Kurd Pentachord D

Kartsigiar?

1101011

Variant of Nawa Athar with flattend second note. First three notes are partial Kurd tetrachord.

Ussak Tetrachord A
(Turkish)

Minor-Ussak-Like

101101
110101

Second Note (B) is flat by 1 comma, making it more Minor like and less Ussak like.

Huseyni Pentachord A
(Turkish)

Minor-Ussak-Like

10110101
11010101

Second Note (B) is flat by 1 comma, making it more Minor like and less Ussak like. This is the Pentachord version of the Turkish Ussak Tetrachord..

 

Info on Turkish Makams:
A makam in Turkish music is built of a tetrachord built atop a pentachord, or vice versa (trichords exist but are little used). Additionally, most makams have what is known as a "development" (genişleme in Turkish) either above or below, or both, the tonic and/or the highest note

There are 6 basic tetrachords/Pentachords, named sometimes according to their tonic note and sometimes according to the tetrachord's most distinctive note: Çârgâh; Bûselik; Kürdî; Rast; Uşşâk; and Hicaz. For Turkish Tetrachords, note that adding a whole tone to the top of a particular tetrachords produces a Pentachord of the same name.


Genral info:
Each jins has more or less specific leading tone tendencies (note that comes before tonic), which are often dependent on what key it's in.

After you have gotten the sound of the maqam into your ears, you should start to improvise melodies using only the first four notes of the maqam (the lower Ajnas.) The next step is to move to the fourth note of the maqam, and start building a secondary melody on the next four notes (upper ajnas,) using the motifs from the first ajnas.

Learn which notes of the maqam are the notes that sound better to land on! find the notes that you want to pass through. Use Long notes. When you are not sure where you want to go, stay on one note for a while, Breathe and take your time. Use more successive note and less jumps. Stay on the maqam for a while before Modulating. When Modulating to a different Maqam, be clear about the new Maqam.

The lower ajnas is the primary part of the maqam and it indicates the type of the maqam. The upper ajnas has the secondary role. When modulating, we are using different jins, keeping some common notes from the original jins while altering others.



Jins with no quarter tones and commas


= Dromo Name            = Pattern

Ajam, Jahar Kah Trichord, Cargah, Mahoor Tetrachord

= Major             = 101011

Nawathar, Hisar, Nikriz, Pentachord

= Romaniko       = 10110011

Nawathir Tetrachord

= Niavent           = 1011001

Nahawand, Farahfaza Tetrachord, Busalik Pentachord

= Minor             = 10110101

Kurd Tetrachord

= Ussak            = 110101

Sipahr Tetrachord

= Saba              = 10111

Hijaz Tetrachord

= Hijaz              = 110011

Pencgah Pentachord

= Lydian            = 10101011

Zamzama Tetrtachord

= Neveseri         = 11011

 

Makams with no Quarter tones

= Dromo Name                     = Pattern

Mahoor

= Major /                       = 1010110101011
   Mixolydian                  = 1010110101101

Ajam, Cargah

= Major                         = 1010110101011

Nahawand, Sultan Yakah

= Harm. Minor/              = 1011010110011
   Nat. Minor                  = 1011010110101

Farahfaza

= Nat. Minor                  = 1011010110101

Nahawand-Murassah

= Nik.Kartsigyar             = 1011011001101

Shawq-Afza

= Tabanhiotikos             = 1010110110011

Nawathar, Hisar

= Nihavent                     = 1011001110011

Nikriz

= Romaniko                   = 1011001101101

Athar Kurd

= ?                               = 1101001110011

Kurd

= Ussak                        = 1101010110101

Hijaz-Kar-Kurd

= Hijazkiar /                   = 1100110110011
   Ussak                        = 1101010110101

Zamzama

= Zamzam                      = 1101100110101

Hijaz Nahawand (desc)

= Hijaz                          = 1100110110101

Zanjaran

= Hijaz neva                  = 1100110101101

Hijaz Kar

= Hijazkiar                     = 1100110110011

Rast Ubeidi