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Nawa Athar Analyses

In fact, this is a bad song choice to represent Maqam Nawa Athar, but a fairly decent song to represent Maqam Nahawand, because its verses explore the pathways available in Maqam Nahawand (unfortunately not discussed on this site). However, it begins and ends in Nawa Athar, hence the need to classify the song overall as Nawa Athar. My preference would be to categorize this song as being hybrid between the two maqamat (a trend that was popular in mid-20th century Egypt). One interesting melodic feature is the fact that the chorus melody is ambiguous as to whether it is in Jins Nahawand or Jins Nakriz, because it only uses the first three notes of the Jins, which are identical in both Nahawand and Nakriz.

As I said, the network represented here would better be called a Maqam Nahawand Network:

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Gameel Gamaal

[song page with full recording]

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because it doesn't go up to 4 or 5 yet, we don't realize this will be Nakriz

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actually goes all the way up to 9 in the last phrase

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now we see that "Gameel Gamaal" phrase is bottom of Nakriz, not Nahawand

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Bayati 5 typical in Nahawand, not Nawa Athar

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Bayati descent from its 6th degree

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In a sense, this isn't Rast 1, but Rast 4 underneath the Bayati

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possible to parse the last part of phrase as a part of Rast

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the note under the Hijaz tonic distinguishes it from Hijazkar

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lazima descends from 6 above Hijaz

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same verse ending for all three verses

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Like Bayati, Saba 5 occurs more typically in Nahawand

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An unusual combo with Saba, but this establishes Nawa Athar

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back to same ending of verse

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