Oud Maqam Learning Part 2: Ultimate Introduction to Maqam Music

Summary

This video explores the concept of 'makams' in Middle Eastern music, explaining how they differ from Western scales. The video emphasizes the importance of focusing on the intervalic structures between notes, rather than memorizing static scales. It introduces the idea of 'gin,' small sets of notes that create specific emotional feelings, and highlights how these gins combine to form makams. The tutorial also discusses the melodic development and modulation between makams, offering a more authentic way to learn and express Middle Eastern music, specifically for UD players. The video promises further insights in upcoming sessions.

Takeaways

• 😀 The concept of 'maam' in Middle Eastern music refers to intervallic structures rather than just a set of notes.
• 😀 Western music scales (major and minor) have fixed patterns, with major scales often sounding happy and minor scales sounding sad or mellow.
• 😀 The intervallic structure of a scale, such as C Major or G Major, remains the same even if the starting note changes.
• 😀 In Arabic and Turkish music, there are over 50 different 'maams,' each with unique intervallic structures that influence melodic development.
• 😀 Persian music features just over 10 'maams,' each governed by specific rules and intervallic structures.
• 😀 A 'gin' is a small set of notes within a 'maam,' and the different gins are combined to form the broader makam structure.
• 😀 There are 9 primary gins (like Ajam, Rust, Sika) used in Arabic music, each contributing to the unique feeling of the maam.
• 😀 Learning a 'maam' involves understanding the relationship between gins, making it easier to learn the principles of melodic development and modulation.
• 😀 Middle Eastern music is better learned by focusing on the gins (intervallic structures) rather than treating a maam as a fixed set of notes.
• 😀 In the 'Makam Master Program,' the focus is on teaching the principles of melodic grammar, starting with gins and then combining them into maams.
• 😀 By analyzing the gins and understanding how they fit together, it becomes easier to compose and improvise within the structures of Middle Eastern music.

Q & A

What does the term 'maam' mean in the context of this video?

In the video, 'maam' refers to a musical scale in Middle Eastern music, specifically Arabic, Turkish, and Persian traditions. However, the term encompasses much more than just a scale; it represents specific intervalic structures and melodic rules used in those musical traditions.

How are major and minor scales different in Western music?

In Western music, major scales generally sound happy, while minor scales tend to sound sad or mellow. The difference between them lies in their intervalic structure, which is the pattern of distances between the notes.

What is meant by 'intervalic structure' in music?

Intervalic structure refers to the specific pattern of distances between the notes in a scale or musical piece. For example, the pattern of whole steps and half steps that make up a scale defines its intervalic structure.

What is the significance of learning the intervalic structure for understanding Middle Eastern music?

Learning the intervalic structure is key to understanding Middle Eastern music because it allows musicians to grasp how different scales (or 'makams') create various emotional effects. By focusing on these structures, musicians can better understand the development of melodies and transitions between different makams.

How does the Western approach to learning scales differ from the approach used in Middle Eastern music?

In Western music, scales are often learned as a set of seven notes, whereas in Middle Eastern music, the focus is on learning smaller intervals or 'jins'—shorter segments of notes that form the foundation of a makam. These jins allow for more flexibility and authenticity in creating melodies.

What is a 'gin' in Middle Eastern music?

A 'gin' (plural: 'ajnas') is a small set of notes in Middle Eastern music that forms a part of a makam. Each gin has its own unique intervalic structure, such as a sequence of whole steps and half steps, which creates a specific emotional feel.

How does a 'makam' differ from a Western scale?

A makam in Middle Eastern music is more complex than a Western scale. While a Western scale is a set of fixed notes, a makam involves a combination of different ajnas (intervalic structures) that dictate the melodic flow and development, including how melodies can transition and modulate.

What is the relationship between ajnas and makams in Arabic music?

In Arabic music, a makam is a larger structure made up of a combination of ajnas. Each gin (ajnas) within a makam has its own unique intervalic structure, and the way these ajnas are combined and modulated gives each makam its distinct sound and emotional effect.

How many ajnas are there in Arabic music, and what is their significance?

There are nine common ajnas in Arabic music, each with a specific intervalic structure. These ajnas serve as the building blocks for different makams and govern how melodies develop and transition within those makams.

Why is it beneficial to learn Middle Eastern music by focusing on ajnas rather than memorizing entire makams?

Focusing on ajnas rather than entire makams allows musicians to learn more manageable pieces of music and understand the underlying principles of melody and modulation. By mastering each gin individually, a musician can more easily understand how different makams are constructed and how melodies transition between them.