Maqām Recognition
Identifying the maqām from playing or singing (Rāst, Bayātī, Ḥijāz…) and separating those sharing a root jins.
The five levels
Each anchor describes what separates one level from the next — not a general description of quality. This is the text the evaluator itself reads.
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Level 1 Below Standard
Cannot tell the basic maqāmāt apart.
Example Confusing Rāst with Nahawand.
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Level 2 Approaching
Distinguishes some maqāmāt, not all.
Example Knows Ḥijāz but confuses Bayātī with Ṣabā.
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Level 3 At Standard
Confidently distinguishes the six basic maqāmāt.
Example Names Rāst, Bayātī, Ḥijāz, Nahawand, Kurd, and Ṣabā.
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Level 4 Above Standard
Separates root-sharing maqāmāt (Bayātī vs Ḥusaynī).
Example Spots the difference in tonic and sayr.
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Level 5 Excellence
Recognises the maqām and modulation (talwīn) during performance.
Example Catches a shift from Rāst to Nahawand on the tonic.
Where does your own work sit on these levels?
Submit one work to be read against this criterion alone: your position across the five levels, why you are not higher and why not lower, three literal quotes from your own work, and one exercise with its success check. Your first card is free.
Price: 7 SAR · Included in Pro & Artist Plus · First one free — Pricing details
Read my work by this criterionOther criteria in the same art
Maintaining a consistent and continuous tempo throughout the performance
The five levels →Hitting the Arabic neutral note (quarter-tone) precisely in cents, not rounding it to the nearest Western semitone.
The five levels →Accuracy in playing notes and avoiding deviation from correct pitches
The five levels →Conveying a feeling or meaning to the listener through musical performance
The five levels →Constructing performance with cohesive structure: intro, development, climax, outro
The five levels →Musician's complete presence in the moment during performance
The five levels →Musician's ability to create genuine dialogue with their listeners
The five levels →Executing the Arabic rhythmic cycle's structure (dum/tak) at its correct time positions (Maqsūm, Maṣmūdī…).
The five levels →