Family: Kurd family
Maqam Kurd
Mood: plaintive, tender, contemplative — the maqam named after the people
Scale & intervals
D, E-flat, F, G, A, B-flat, C, D
Tonic: D
Where it's used
Kurmanji folk songs, love ballads, regional dances
Ornamentation
Less ornamentation than other maqamat — the simplicity is the point
About Maqam Kurd
Maqam Kurd is named for the Kurdish people themselves and is widely used in Kurmanji folk music. Its lowered second degree (a regular minor second, not half-flat as in Bayati) gives it a distinct, grounded sadness — different from the Persian Bayati flavor and closer to a Western minor mode at first listen. It is the signature mode of much Kurmanji repertoire.