Family: Bayati family
Maqam Bayati
Mood: introspective, longing, nostalgic
Scale & intervals
D, E half-flat, F, G, A, B-flat, C, D
Tonic: D
Where it's used
Lullabies, laments, slow love ballads, dengbêj epic narratives
Ornamentation
Heavy melismas on the half-flat second; sliding ornaments are characteristic
About Maqam Bayati
Maqam Bayati is one of the foundational modes in Kurdish folk music, particularly in the Kurmanji dengbêj tradition. It is built on a tonic with a half-flat second degree, giving it a distinctive melancholy color. Many of the most iconic Kurdish lullabies, laments, and love songs sit in Bayati.
