Traditional / experimental practice
Makam · Mahur
The Mahur scale (9-9-4-9-9-9-4 commas) in 53-comma tuning, theoretical pitches: a seyir with rast (G) as tonic, gerdaniye (upper tonic) as dominant and brief rests on the suspended cadences given by the sources; listen for the seyir that starts high and descends to the rast tonic; its difference from Rast on the same tonic is the direction. The ney settles into each phrase from below, a tanbur accompanies, a drone underneath. An original, algorithmic seyir, not a performer's interpretation. The effect of makams on mood is a historical account, not a scientific claim.
A traditional or spiritual practice, not a scientific claim.
Liner notes
- Body
- Cluster drone · 97.79 and 195.58 Hz, Tonal voice ×2
- What do you hear?
- continuous
How is this sound made?
- Cluster drone−31 dB
Cluster drone · root 97.79 Hz, 7 oscillators
- Cluster drone−41 dB
Cluster drone · root 195.58 Hz, 3 oscillators
- Tonal voice−36 dB
Tonal voice · 286 notes
- Tonal voice−39 dB
Tonal voice · 178 notes
- Reverb: hall, 40% mix
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What do we know, what don't we know?
T · Traditional/spiritual practiceLast reviewed 7 October 2026
No scientific claim is made; it is offered as a cultural or personal practice.
A traditional or spiritual practice, not a scientific claim.
The makam tradition and moods
A makam is a melodic system of Turkish music; its effect on mood is a historical account, not a scientific claim.
Evidence level T: Traditional/spiritual practiceWhat do we know?
- Safi al-Din al-Urmawi's twelve modes were matched to the zodiac signs and his four branches to the four elements.Özkan 2003
- SupportOttoman physicians such as Şuuri Hasan Efendi and Gevrekzade Hasan Efendi wrote about the effects of makams on emotions.Çoban 2012
- At the Bayezid II Darüşşifa in Edirne, music is mentioned as an experimental practice alongside the traditional medicine of the period.Kıranlar & Koçak 2017
What don't we know?
- LimitThese mappings are historical accounts: with no research showing their validity and reliability, they have no clinical value today.Çoban 2012
- Evidence gapNo specific effect of listening to a makam has been shown scientifically.
Studies
- Çoban 2012 · Review
- Kıranlar & Koçak 2017 · Review
- Özkan 2003 · Institutional page
A session's level is the weakest of its linked claims; it is never raised by a strong but unrelated claim.
Its neighbours on the map
The five sounds closest to this one by measured sound features.
- 1Makam · KurdilihicazkarDark · slowly evolving · melodicBoth tone and drone · both steady, generative · same goal: explore
- 2Makam · HuseyniDark · slowly evolving · melodicBoth tone and drone · both steady, generative · same goal: explore
- 3Makam · HicazDark · slowly evolving · melodicBoth tone and drone · both steady, generative · same goal: explore
- 4Makam · SegahDark · slowly evolving · melodicBoth tone and drone · both steady, generative · same goal: explore
- 5Makam · HuzzamDark · slowly evolving · melodicBoth tone and drone · both steady, generative · same goal: explore
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