Middle Eastern music
Maqam-based sonic traditions
Middle Eastern music encompasses the musical traditions of Southwest Asia and North Africa—from Arabic classical music to Turkish folk, Persian classical, and Israeli popular styles.
Common features include quarter-tone scales (maqam), complex rhythmic patterns, and instruments like the oud, darbuka, and ney.
The restaurant played Middle Eastern music while we ate.
Western listeners often find the microtonal intervals and ornamental vocal styles distinctive.
- oudAromatic heartwood or plucked instrument
- hand drumsSkin-topped percussion struck manually
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- tambourineJingling handheld percussion instrument
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