Maqam

From MusiCAD

In a maqam in Eastern and Arabic music, unusual intervals occur to Western ears.

comma lowering 8 comma raising 16/9 sharp +184 ¢
comma raising 5 comma raising 10/9 sharp +115 ¢
comma raising 1 comma raising 2/9 sharp +23 ¢
comma lowering 1 comma lowering 2/9 flat -23 ¢
comma lowering 4 comma lowering 8/9 flat -92 ¢
comma lowering 8 comma lowering 16/9 flat -184 ¢

Enter with the accidental menu doubleflat or with <alt-F11>

Like quarter tones, these types of intervals are made audible by MusiCAD, but not included in the mechanism for automatically placing sharps and flats

To suppress a maqam sign, you can use <shift-W>.

When using maqam accientals, remember that in, for example, notation of Turkish music, the other notes are usually assumed to have perfect ratio's, and the increments/decrements relative to the perfect ratios are intended. However, MusiCAD plays increments/decrements relative to the modern equal temperament.

The signs for a quarter tone raise/lower and those for a comma raise/lower are the same; they will not reasonably occur simultaneously in a composition.

See also