Mike's Oud Forums

What is the appropriate way to mention a maqam name?

fernandoamartin - 4-8-2016 at 05:04 PM

What is the most appropriate way to mention the name of a maqam in arabic? With or without article? Example: Maqam Rast (مقام راست;) or Maqam Al-Rast (مقام الراست;)?

Are there rules for different usages? (E.g.: to search for it online, to put it on a list, to name a piece, in a day-to-day talk etc.)

I've seen both and I don't know which is better or right or appropriate to a given situation.

Examples:
http://musiqana.net/category.aspx?catid=17
http://www.oud.eclipse.co.uk/rastarab.html

ameer - 4-8-2016 at 05:36 PM

The first way is the most common in my experience. I see the second from time to time but not often.

fernandoamartin - 4-9-2016 at 06:49 AM

Thank you. But is there some rule about it?

ameer - 4-9-2016 at 08:33 AM

Not that I know of.

fernandoamartin - 4-9-2016 at 04:42 PM

Thank you. It's easier and more elegant not to use the article. However when searching online I have to count on chance that the form I typed bring more results. (Unless google is able to recognize one form and bring results with the other too. )

Brian Prunka - 4-10-2016 at 08:36 AM

Google can recognize both forms but it still orders the results differently depending which one you type. It also gives different results in Latin transliteration than in Arabic script. Sometimes one is better than the other, but it's tough to know which one will give the results that you want. For instance, searching for "iqa'at" using latin letters brings up Arabic rhythms, but using "يقاعات" brings up Arabic-language sources talking about rhythm more generally.

When searching, I try every form I can think of.

franck leriche - 4-10-2016 at 11:16 AM

In your example راست(rast) is a word of persian origin standing for right, so it may not have the ال in front.
But for a maqam of arabic origin,مقام حجاز( maqam hijaz) is more colloquial,مقام الحجاز(maqam el hijaz) is closer to الفصحى (el fos7a) the standard arabic.
Between friends the first one is common, if you have to make an official talk, the second one is more adapted.

fernandoamartin - 4-11-2016 at 10:26 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  
Google can recognize both forms but it still orders the results differently depending which one you type. It also gives different results in Latin transliteration than in Arabic script. Sometimes one is better than the other, but it's tough to know which one will give the results that you want. For instance, searching for "iqa'at" using latin letters brings up Arabic rhythms, but using "يقاعات" brings up Arabic-language sources talking about rhythm more generally.

When searching, I try every form I can think of.


I have noticed some differences in google results when I search for recordings and videos. However writing in arabic I have two option (with or without al) but when transliterating some words can be written in 3, 4, 5 or more ways. Then it becomes very confusing to try all possibilities.

fernandoamartin - 4-11-2016 at 10:31 AM

Quote: Originally posted by franck leriche  
In your example راست(rast) is a word of persian origin standing for right, so it may not have the ال in front.
But for a maqam of arabic origin,مقام حجاز( maqam hijaz) is more colloquial,مقام الحجاز(maqam el hijaz) is closer to الفصحى (el fos7a) the standard arabic.
Between friends the first one is common, if you have to make an official talk, the second one is more adapted.


Thank you for the insight.
Currently I'm writing several pieces to try each possible mode based on research on Erlanger's and Yekta's work. So, using it as the title of a piece, is there some indication about which form would be better?