For the nerdy, enter the scale in Scala (like "equal 24"), then Analyse menu->Show chord presence... (or chords/match/constrained on the command line).
Good explanation! I'd like to add that there are other possibilities of harmonizing maqam music apart from using chords. For example, you could play the qarar or the ghammaz, or any other note that is the root of the jins you're currently playing, either as an accent here and there, or as a continuous drone, like in church music. This works very well with all maqams and as an accompaniment to taqasim. Octave doubling is another great way to beef up the melody. Playing with rhythmic bass lines/riffs is also an option, as is adding thirds where applicable. The important thing is to use all these techniques in moderation, so that the beauty of the melody is brought to the forefront.
glad it helped. you could do that be that would depend on what maqam you are playing. Arabic music is very case specific therefore you can't generalise. Would love to have you at the laws of ornamentation training. there will be time for questions:)
1:39 „i‘m a jazz guy, let me do it“ - me (probably; right now). I actually kind of like the jarring sounds of microtonal chords, but I generally like dissonance.
I don't play an authentic Arabic instrument but guitar and ukulele with additional frets. Especially for Ukulele with it's high register I found some interesting ways to harmonise arabic folk melodies with chords that contain quarternotes. In one case I had a melody in D with accidentals Ed (half flat) and Bb (flat). I chose to change between Dm and the neutral C chord, later on I also play the descending line Gm, F, Cneutral, Dm. The accompaniment included a single higher note plucked with the thumb followed by a trichord around that note (due to the weird tuning of Ukulele). So Dm was realized by first plucking a high D and then A-D-F#, here D was played on two strings of the Ukulele and thus repeated. And for the Cneutral I played Ed (half flat) followed by G-C-G, avoiding to play all at the same time. The Ukulele has a very limited sustain compared to kanun, so even letting ring might not really count as playing together.
In an other Song that started on the quaternote Ad (half flat), I identified it as a neutral 7 of a Bb major chord, playing Bb-F-Ad actually worked really nicely even with strumming, and then its relief in a major Eb Chord. Using non arabic instruments, of course, already removes me from the track of authenticity and thus gives new freedom of interpreting the material.
Thanks for sharing your experience. You were harmonising with maqam Kurd by the sound of it so it’s far easier to add chords since it’s a quarter tone free maqam. Chords get muddy wren you try to add them to microtonal maqamat and when you over use them otherwise 😊
@@MayaYoussefMusic Well no, I do indeed use quarter notes: Ed is "E half flat" of Maqaam Bayati (in the key of D), this goes for the first song. And Ad is A half flat and the starting note of a song only using the notes F G Ad Bb, which should be Jins Upper Rast but weirdly starting and ending in Ad. For the accompaniment I only used Eb major and Bb major, but in the part starting on the note Ad, I played the power chord plus neutral seven: Bb-Ed-Ad. This is not that dissonant as it can be identified as 6:9:11 in terms of frequency ratios. I like the sound. A minor chord with frequency ratios 10:12:15 is not much more consonant except for the pairwise frequency ratios. Even a chord with neutral third can work in context, yet it will be muddy on a lower pitched instrument, but on Ukulele it is totally fine. I still agree: One should not add too many notes. On microtonal Ukulele I very often resolve to power chords.
I just recently found out about this instrument, and I think the design is really interesting. Can you tell me how long the vibrating part of the string is for the longest and the shortest strings on the instrument?
Of course any one can! even those who don’t play an instrument and want to appreciate Arabic music 😊 I’m running a free Maqam and taqasim masterclass today and would love to have you. If you can’t make it live you still get the replay here is the link www.maqamlego.com/taqasim-masterclass
![Writing Exotic Music with Phrygian Dominant- 5th mode of Harmonic Minor [MUSIC THEORY - SCALES]](/img/n.gif)
For the nerdy, enter the scale in Scala (like "equal 24"), then Analyse menu->Show chord presence... (or chords/match/constrained on the command line).
Good explanation! I'd like to add that there are other possibilities of harmonizing maqam music apart from using chords. For example, you could play the qarar or the ghammaz, or any other note that is the root of the jins you're currently playing, either as an accent here and there, or as a continuous drone, like in church music. This works very well with all maqams and as an accompaniment to taqasim. Octave doubling is another great way to beef up the melody. Playing with rhythmic bass lines/riffs is also an option, as is adding thirds where applicable. The important thing is to use all these techniques in moderation, so that the beauty of the melody is brought to the forefront.
glad it helped. you could do that be that would depend on what maqam you are playing. Arabic music is very case specific therefore you can't generalise. Would love to have you at the laws of ornamentation training. there will be time for questions:)
1:39 „i‘m a jazz guy, let me do it“ - me (probably; right now). I actually kind of like the jarring sounds of microtonal chords, but I generally like dissonance.
I don't play an authentic Arabic instrument but guitar and ukulele with additional frets. Especially for Ukulele with it's high register I found some interesting ways to harmonise arabic folk melodies with chords that contain quarternotes. In one case I had a melody in D with accidentals Ed (half flat) and Bb (flat). I chose to change between Dm and the neutral C chord, later on I also play the descending line Gm, F, Cneutral, Dm. The accompaniment included a single higher note plucked with the thumb followed by a trichord around that note (due to the weird tuning of Ukulele). So Dm was realized by first plucking a high D and then A-D-F#, here D was played on two strings of the Ukulele and thus repeated. And for the Cneutral I played Ed (half flat) followed by G-C-G, avoiding to play all at the same time. The Ukulele has a very limited sustain compared to kanun, so even letting ring might not really count as playing together.
In an other Song that started on the quaternote Ad (half flat), I identified it as a neutral 7 of a Bb major chord, playing Bb-F-Ad actually worked really nicely even with strumming, and then its relief in a major Eb Chord. Using non arabic instruments, of course, already removes me from the track of authenticity and thus gives new freedom of interpreting the material.
Thanks for sharing your experience. You were harmonising with maqam Kurd by the sound of it so it’s far easier to add chords since it’s a quarter tone free maqam. Chords get muddy wren you try to add them to microtonal maqamat and when you over use them otherwise 😊
@@MayaYoussefMusic Well no, I do indeed use quarter notes: Ed is "E half flat" of Maqaam Bayati (in the key of D), this goes for the first song. And Ad is A half flat and the starting note of a song only using the notes F G Ad Bb, which should be Jins Upper Rast but weirdly starting and ending in Ad. For the accompaniment I only used Eb major and Bb major, but in the part starting on the note Ad, I played the power chord plus neutral seven: Bb-Ed-Ad. This is not that dissonant as it can be identified as 6:9:11 in terms of frequency ratios. I like the sound. A minor chord with frequency ratios 10:12:15 is not much more consonant except for the pairwise frequency ratios. Even a chord with neutral third can work in context, yet it will be muddy on a lower pitched instrument, but on Ukulele it is totally fine. I still agree: One should not add too many notes. On microtonal Ukulele I very often resolve to power chords.
damn yeah that is a question i wonder about
I just recently found out about this instrument, and I think the design is really interesting. Can you tell me how long the vibrating part of the string is for the longest and the shortest strings on the instrument?
glad to hear:) I honestly dont know. thats a question to a luthier:)
Weirdly, I have been wondering that. Or, at least, I've been struggling to add chords to a melody using an unconventional (to Western music) scale.
ahhh thats so nice to hear!
Hello! I am a violinist! I can learn Maqams?
Of course any one can! even those who don’t play an instrument and want to appreciate Arabic music 😊 I’m running a free Maqam and taqasim masterclass today and would love to have you. If you can’t make it live you still get the replay here is the link www.maqamlego.com/taqasim-masterclass