majnuunNavid
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Arabic meaning of maqam?
Maqam vs Dastgah/gushe
Maybe others have already picked up on this, but this is a bit of a revelation to me. I am a Persian musician and have always been in the habit of
comparing Arabic and Persian musical systems in the effort to find their commonalities.
I just realized the word maqam مقام means "place" "locality" or "position". And the Persian word Dastgah
دستگاه , means "hand-position", and the persian word gushe گوشه means "niche", "nook",
or "corner". Gushe, in other words means, "place within a place"
I am finding that some Turkish Maqamat are using the same names for some Persian Gushe. Like Gavesht, Baste-negar, Busalik, Uzzal, Zengule. All these
are also in Persian repertoire but are not representative of a particular set of notes in a scale. In Persian music they can be played and substituted
in different modes and scales, etc.
This seems to me that the words "makam", "dastgah", and "gushe" refer to various positions and placements on the fingerboard.
Anyone have anything to add on this?
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Alfaraby
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The verb "Qam" in Arabic means stand up or stand still. The verb Qam is often used like the verb to be in English. It may mean anything, depending on
the other word used along with. "Qamat Alqeyamah" means resurrection, "Qamat Alsouq" means the market woke up, while Qam on a principle means defend
it ... etc. There are many forms in which one may use the stem Qam: "Qamah" means stature; "Aqam" means settled down in a place in a manner that means
stability; "Qawae'm" = limbs; "Qayyem = valuable … etc.
"Maqam" means "the place where you place your feet" means where you live (read as "Moqam" also) or where you're staying or where you stand up. It
means social class as well.
Maqam in music means the appropriate place for transposition of a group of tunes that constitutes a scale which has a starting point, an end and
in-between. The word "Maqam" has not been used in a music context till the 16th century. First to use this form was Al Lathiqi: ("Al Risalah
Alfat-hiah" p. 52). Initially it was called "Sawt" (voice), (Isshaq Al Mouseli); then "Shadd" (cf. "Shadd Araban") and "Dawr" (S. Al Armawi: "Al Adwar
fil Mosiqa") since both the singing genre called "Dawr" and the scale, have an outset, a middle and an end, ruled by rhythm.
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
alfarabymusic@gmail.com
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David Parfitt
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Navid,
Here is what the "Encyclopaedia of Islam" has to say on the subject. Hope this helps.
Best wishes
David
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