Family: Rast family
Maqam Rast
Mood: noble, balanced, hopeful — the "default" Middle Eastern mode
Scale & intervals
C, D, E half-flat, F, G, A, B half-flat, C
Tonic: C
Where it's used
Instrumental introductions, dance music, joyful folk pieces
Ornamentation
Light ornamentation; the mode itself does the heavy lifting
About Maqam Rast
Maqam Rast is sometimes called the "C major of Middle Eastern music" — a balanced, noble mode used as a starting point in modal teaching. Its half-flat third and seventh place it firmly in the Eastern tradition, but its overall mood is bright. It appears in many Kurdish folk pieces, especially in instrumental introductions and dance sections.