Family: Hijaz family
Maqam Hijaz
Mood: exotic, dramatic, devotional, deeply Middle Eastern
Scale & intervals
D, E-flat, F-sharp, G, A, B-flat, C, D
Tonic: D
Where it's used
Passionate love songs, devotional music, classical Sorani repertoire
Ornamentation
Trills on the augmented second; long held notes on tonic
About Maqam Hijaz
Maqam Hijaz is the most recognizable Middle Eastern modal flavor — the augmented second between the second and third degrees gives it that characteristic exotic sound that Western listeners associate with the region. In Kurdish music, particularly Sorani repertoire, Hijaz is used extensively in passionate love songs and devotional pieces.