Maqam (Arabic) · Romantic · emotional
Nahawand Scale
Maqam Nahawand is the Arabic cousin of the Western natural minor scale. Romantic and emotional, it bridges Eastern and Western ears because it contains no quarter-tones — an ideal first maqam for players coming from Western music.
Open the interactive Nahawand scale →On the piano keyboard
Nahawand scale shown on C
Structure of Maqam Nahawand on C
Shown on root C — the same interval pattern applies in every key.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Arabic solfège |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | 1 | راست |
| 2 | D | 2 | دوكاه |
| 3 | Eb | b3 | كوبيز |
| 4 | F | 4 | جهاركاه |
| 5 | G | 5 | نوى |
| 6 | Ab | b6 | نوا شر |
| 7 | Bb | b7 | أوج |
| 8 | C | 8 | راست (octave) |
Ajnas — the building blocks
Each maqam is built from two overlapping tetrachords (ajnas). The lower jins defines the maqam's character; the upper jins provides resolution. Understanding ajnas reveals how maqams relate and modulate between each other.
A minor-type tetrachord — the same pattern as the Western natural minor, giving Nahawand its romantic, emotional character.
A major-leaning upper tetrachord that bridges Eastern and Western ears naturally.
Nahawand scale on every key — keyboard diagrams
C
Db
D
Eb
E
F
F#
G
Ab
A
Bb
B
Nahawand scale in every key
| Key | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | D | Eb | F | G | Ab | Bb |
| Db | Db | Eb | E | Gb | Ab | A | B |
| D | D | E | F | G | A | Bb | C |
| Eb | Eb | F | Gb | Ab | Bb | B | Db |
| E | E | F# | G | A | B | C | D |
| F | F | G | Ab | Bb | C | Db | Eb |
| F# | F# | G# | A | B | C# | D | E |
| G | G | A | Bb | C | D | Eb | F |
| Ab | Ab | Bb | B | Db | Eb | E | Gb |
| A | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| Bb | Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | Ab |
| B | B | C# | D | E | F# | G | A |
Emotional character & uses
Nahawand is the most accessible Arabic maqam for Western ears — it closely mirrors the natural minor scale. It carries romance, drama and yearning without the microtonal complexity of Rast or Bayati, making it a natural entry point for Western musicians exploring Arabic music.
- Egyptian and Levantine folk songs
- Cross-cultural collaborations
- Entry-level maqam study
- Romantic film soundtracks
Variations & related maqams
A compound form alternating between Nahawand and Hijaz phrases — common in Egyptian music.
Nahawand with a natural seventh instead of B♭ — brighter and closer to Western natural minor.