Makam Ussak — Turkish Comma Scale
Makam Uşşak is a foundational Turkish makam built on the 53-comma system. Its neutral second (segah) sits at approximately 130 cents — finer than an Arabic quarter-tone.
Scale Structure
Highlighted intervals are microtones — impossible to play on a standard 12-TET piano.
History
Codified in the early 20th century by Arel, Ezgi, and Uzdilek as part of the Turkish tonal system. Predates this system by centuries in Ottoman court music.
Cultural Usage
Heard in Turkish art music (sanat müziği), Sufi sema ceremonies, and Mevlevi devotional music.
How MaqAmir Plays It
The 53-tone equal temperament system divides the octave into 53 equal commas (~22.6 cents each), allowing for far more precise microtonal expression than 12-TET.
More from Turkish Makam
Maqam Rast — The Foundation of Arabic Music
Maqam Rast (مقام راست) is the cornerstone of Arabic classical music — a seven-note scale defined by its signature half-flat third (E½♭) and half-flat seventh (B½♭). The name "Rast" means "straight" or "direct" in Persian, reflecting its central role across the maqam system.
Maqam Bayati — The Voice of Devotion
Maqam Bayati (مقام بياتي) is one of the most widely sung Arabic maqamat, instantly recognizable by its half-flat second degree (E½♭ from D). It carries a sense of tenderness, longing, and devotion.
Maqam Hijaz — The Sound of the Sacred
Maqam Hijaz (مقام حجاز) is named after the Hijaz region of the Arabian Peninsula. Its signature is the augmented second between the second and third degrees — a dramatic, exotic interval familiar to Western ears as the "Phrygian Dominant" sound.
Maqam Saba — The Scale of Sorrow
Maqam Saba (مقام صبا) carries the weight of grief and devotion. Its signature is the diminished fourth — a tense, unstable interval that resolves with intense emotional gravity.
Maqam Nahawand — The Arabic Natural Minor
Maqam Nahawand (مقام نهاوند) is the Arabic equivalent of the Western natural minor scale. Unlike most maqamat, it uses 12-tone intervals — making it instantly familiar to Western ears.
Maqam Kurd — The Phrygian of the East
Maqam Kurd (مقام كرد) shares its interval structure with the Western Phrygian mode — a flat second creates its signature dark, mysterious character.
Maqam Sikah — The Quarter-Tone Root
Maqam Sikah (مقام سيكاه) is unique among the primary maqamat because its root note is a quarter-tone (E½♭). It has a very distinct, earthy, and unresolved feeling.
Dastgah-e Shur — The Heart of Persian Music
Dastgah-e Shur (دستگاه شور) is the most important melodic system in Persian classical music. Its signature is the "koron" — a microtonal flat slightly larger than a quarter-tone (~60-70 cents).
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