Rast 2 (Suznak) Egypt Mid 20th
For a general introduction to maqamMaqam (pl. maqamat) is the modal melodic system used in the Arab worldVisit the link to learn more and these presets, please visit A Guide to the Maqam Tuning Presets for Ableton Live 12.
About this maqam
This represents a version of Maqam Suznak, the most common branch within the Maqam Rast Family, as used in the mid 20th century in Egypt, with a medium third scale degree (E1/2♭). The reference composition is the Umm Kulthum Song "Ghannili Shwayya" composed by Zakaria Ahmed. Most of the common modulations within Maqam Suznak are possible, but Upper Rast G and Nahawand G, which both require an A-natural, are not possible. This version of Maqam Suznak was developed by Sami Abu Shumays.
JinsJins (pl. ajnas): a scale fragment of 3, 4, or 5 notes with a specific mood and melodic vocabulary.Visit the link to learn more modulations possible within this pitch set
Experiment with this tuning
Learning more
Here are some resources to learn more about this tuning system.
- Inside Arabic Music Chapter 11 (description of Tuning System); Ch 14-16 (descriptions of Ajnas); Ch 24 (Sayr diagrams)
- Maqam World Website, including Maqam and Jins Scales
- "Maqam Lessons" YouTube series, teaching the melodic vocabulary of the ajnas and maqamat