The Radif of Iranian music is the traditional repertoire that forms the heart of Persian classical music, representing the essence of Iranian musical culture. It consists of over 250 melodic units, known as "gushe," which are organized into cycles. These cycles are structured around an underlying modal framework, providing the foundation for various melodic motifs. Although Iranian traditional music is largely based on improvisation, shaped by the performer’s mood and the audience's response, musicians dedicate years to mastering the Radif, which serves as the core set of musical tools for their performances and compositions. (Published on UNESCO.org)
Maqam, a music system used in Arabic countries and Turkey, shares some similarities with the Iranian Dastgah system, particularly in certain scales. However, they diverge significantly in terms of performance and execution. While both systems use similar tonal structures, the ways in which they are played and interpreted are quite distinct.
(As a note, variations of the Radif and Maqam systems are also present in the music of the Balkans, Azeri, and Uighur cultures, among others.)
In this section, we will compare the Dastgah and Maqam systems. This post aims to facilitate cultural exchange by offering a general overview of some of the scales used in both systems, drawing superficial comparisons between the two.
Below is an example of a Dastgah incorporating microtones:
Dastgahe Shur, Bayati Maqam
First Dastgah that we will look into, is perhaps one of the most important one Shur/Shoor. Shur is specially important becuase there are some singing scales (Avaz) which are based on Shur. The closest relative to Dastgahe Shur is Bayati Maqam. (Abu Ata which is one of the singing scales of Shur, is the one that has the most similar notes with Bayati.) Abu Ata (Avaze Abu Ata) is one of the singing scales of Shur. The 5th in this scale is not changing and that is why it is the most similar one to Bayati scale. This is Shur on Sol (G).Shur is usually a descending scale, for example second,4th and 7th degree of the scale have the tendency to descend back to tonic in the traditional way of playing Shur. Also, the 5th degree note of Shur sometimes can be quarter-tone note instead of a natural one which leads to a mode called "Husseyni".