Nahwand - نهاوند

Nahwand is named after a city in Iranian Kurdistan. This maqam was popular in Iran and Turkey before it made its way down to Syria and Egypt. Nahwand is the closest equivalent of the Western Minor Scale. The maqam is easy on the western ear and encompasses modern day Israeli tunes. Contrary to most misconceptions, this maqam is not related to Maqam Nawah. Maqam Nahwand is applied when there is disharmony and conflict. There are many "Westernized" songs in this maqam.  Even though it is listed in the pizmonim book as a possible Shabbat maqam up to seven times a year, this is a new innovation. All older listings, both manuscripts and printed, fail to list Maqam Nahwand as an option. According to Arabic music scholars, this maqam was considered off limits for holy use until about 90 years ago when a well-respected Sheikh used it for the first time for religious chanting. Since that time it has begun to make roadways in Aleppo's Islamic and Jewish communities. This maqam was common among the Turks and Aleppo's close proximity to Turkey would account for a number of older pizmonim bearing Turkish musical origins.

Nahwand tetrachord: starting on C