Fretwise Get the app

Turkish Makam

Makam Hicaz on guitar

Also written Hicaz Makamı, Hijaz

A Hicaz tetrachord on Dügâh with a Rast pentachord on Neva. The second sits a little above B flat and the third a little under C sharp, so the wide middle step is narrower than on a piano.

Where every pitch lies

Makam Hicaz, frets 0 to 12

123456789101112 E A D G B e A B♭↑ C#↓ D E E F#↓ G A A B♭↑ C#↓ D E F#↓ G A B♭↑ C#↓ D D E F#↓ G A B♭↑ C#↓ D E F#↓ G G A B♭↑ C#↓ D E F#↓ G A B♭↑ C#↓ D E E F#↓ G

Karar Güçlü Between the frets Tap any note to hear it at its exact pitch.

The notes, one by one

Intervals are counted in Holdrian commas, 53 to the octave (about 22.6 cents each), as in Arel-Ezgi-Uzdilek theory. Performance practice differs from the theory in places. Pitches are given in cents above the karar; a fretted semitone is 100 cents.

# Note Perde Above the karar On a standard guitar
1 A Karar Dügâh 0.0¢ On the fret
2 B♭ +13¢ Dik Kürdî 113.2¢ Nearest fret; the real pitch is 13¢ higher
3 C# −15¢ Nim Hicaz 384.9¢ Nearest fret; the real pitch is 15¢ lower
4 D Güçlü Neva 498.1¢ On the fret
5 E Hüseynî 701.9¢ On the fret
6 F# −17¢ Eviç 883.0¢ Nearest fret; the real pitch is 17¢ lower
7 G Gerdaniye 996.2¢ On the fret

Çeşniler

A makam is built from small units of three to five notes, each with its own colour. These are the units of Makam Hicaz.

Seyir

Descending-ascending (inici-çıkıcı), sometimes ascending: it starts around the karar or the güçlü.

  1. Begins around the karar or around the güçlü, Neva.
  2. Moves freely through the units of the scale and makes a half cadence on Neva with the Rast flavour.
  3. Shows suspended cadences and brief passes into neighbouring makams along the way.
  4. Ranges over the whole scale, then closes on Dügâh with the Hicaz scale.

Asma kararlar

Example phrase

Starts on the güçlü, Neva, and falls through the Hicaz tetrachord to the karar, climbs back to a half cadence on Neva, shows the Rast flavour above it, and closes on Dügâh from Rast below.

A short outline written for Fretwise that follows the seyir above. It is not a quotation from the repertoire. Press “Play the phrase” on the neck to hear it.

Sources

Tuning convention: Arel-Ezgi-Uzdilek. Intervals are written as in the source; practice varies by region and player.

How to play maqam on a standard guitar: when to bend, when to use the nearest fret

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise Makam Hicaz anywhere, even offline.

This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.

Get it free onGoogle Play Download on theApp Store

Free

  • 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
  • A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

One purchase

  • 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
  • No subscription, ads removed