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Maqam Lessons تَحْليلُ المَقام

Analyses›Aruh Li Meen

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Aruh li Meen

Aruh li Meen is a masterful composition that comprehensively explores Maqam Rast. This piece alone could be a course on that maqam. For a detailed discussion of this analysis, visit The "Big Picture" analysis page

See the following analyses: Jins Rast, Jins Nahawand, Jins Hijaz, Jins Bayati & Saba, Jins Sikah Family, Jins Rast Baggage, Jins Secondary Rast, Jins Hijazkar, Jins Sikah Beladi, Rast Pathways: Nahawand & 2nd Rast, Rast Pathways: Hijaz, Rast: Other Pathways

Maqam Rast

Composer: Riyad is-Sunbati

Performer: Umm Kulthum

Aruh Li Meen (complete recording)

(The complete recording starts with an instrumental introduction not included in this analysis; however the rhythmic section of that intro is included in the analysis as the intro to the 2nd verse. The complete recording has many more repeats than in the analysis: the entire 1st and 2nd verses, as well as additional repeats of the opening sections of the 3rd and 4th verses.)

Original clip-by-clip analysis · 86 clips

01

long passage in one jins, eventually up to 6

02

03

04

05

intro to 2nd verse; starts 3-4-5

06

strong emphasis on 4--feeling like Nakriz 4

07

08

just hint of Hijaz (flat 6)

09

2nd verse--long passage in Rast

10

prominent Hijaz of 2nd verse => Maqam Suznak

11

12

extended passage in Hijaz

13

use of raised 6 to return to Rast

14

shared verse ending

15

16

17

3rd verse; brief start on 1

18

Sikah Beladi 5th

a unique jins, raised 4 in Sikah Beladi to emphasize 5

19

3 is where Hijaz occurs in Sikah; this resembles that

20

21

22

Sikah Beladi 5th

23

like #19, intervals not exactly Hijaz, but similar

24

25

Sikah Beladi 5th

26

melody doesn't dip underneath tonic

27

Sikah Beladi 5th

reaches up to 8 at end

28

back to instrumental, Sikah-Beladi 8

29

Sikah Beladi 5th

30

31

32

Sikah Beladi 5th

33

34

Sikah Beladi 5th

35

36

making our way back to a stable 5...

37

also includes 3-4-5

38

39

final phrase ambiguous, leading to Saba

40

strong "tone painting" here--"I cover my tears" etc.

41

lowered 4 distinguishes this from Hijazkar 5

42

use of raised 6 to return to Rast

43

shared verse ending

44

45

46

4th verse intro

47

unusual usage of flat 7 w/o resolution to Nah. 5

48

49

very striking!

50

51

(tonicizing 8 from below)

52

53

emphasis on 3, not tonicized yet

54

55

56

emphasis on 3

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

very conclusive phrase! pointing to the end

66

first extended emphasis on Nahawand

67

68

69

70

Raised 4 (2 relative to Sikah tonic) distinguishes from Sikah

71

emphasis on 4

72

73

Again, some might call this "Nakriz 4"

74

75

76

77

78

(again, emphasis on 4)

79

80

81

strong flat-7

82

83

Nahawand 5 - Rast 1

alternate parse of #81-2; descent within Rast from flat-7

84

shared verse ending

85

86

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