A Look At Arabic Music Scales, This is very intresting Options

[bandar]

Hello Mac Musicians.... :-)

I am a new member and this is my first post...

I am a music composer from Saudi Arabia (I have nothing to do with terrorism or politics) and i came to find that most musicians in the western world do not have a good idea about the richness of arabic music...

I am so much in favor of arabic music, because it is very rich in term of scales and styles... as i studied music, i came to find out that western music has two main scales (major and minor) and few other sub scales (as harmonic and jazz and few others i do not recall). On the other hand, Arabic music has over 8 main scales, and a total of 99 (main and sub) scales... not to forget that a new scale was invented (and certified) three years ago, taking the number to a total of one-hundred scales.

Western music is based on the (half tone distance), Arabic music is based on the (quarter tone distance) meaning that between every two notes (next to each other like C and C#) in the western scale, there is an extra note in the arabian scale...( which is C "half sharp" )

One other great thing is that the two main western scales (Major and Minor) are among the eight main scales of arabian music, fitting perfectly with the other ones, and named AJAM for Major and NAHAWAND for Minor...

One good website explaining Arabic scales is : http://www.maqamworld.com/

the word MAQAM is the arabic word for Scale (or Key signature).

this website is listing 40 of the 100 scales with MIDI and Notation samples and i think it is a very good resource for learning about Arabic Music...

Let me know what you guys think......

Enjoy,

[jayzen]

Hi bandar,

Thanks for your compliment, yes I guess I would have heard it if it was there - just wanted to be sure. The solo performance aspect is very interesting, I have heard music of this type, where the male vocalist is singing up and down the scales and very emotionally involved. One new album they have acquired at the cafe I visit has a 20+ minute song with the singer going up and down, up and down a scale, there are no "chord changes" but he is building something estatic and it really involves the listener.

It sounds very spiritual and a real unique type of expression. Is this type of performance improvised or are these passages written for singers to perform? (hope I'm not being too general)

I guess the descendent or branch of this type in the west is flamenco singing, I think some of the flamenco singers are singin the notes in between our half tones also, as well as bending and sliding through notes as well.

Modal music would also be similar I think because of an emphasis on the solo performance, the scale, and a building of long passages without interruption by chords...

-j