Taqsim for Oud, Harpsichord, Fretless Bass & Percussion

A taqsim of sorts in Saba, improvised on four tracks. The Saba maqam is a mode that includes quarter tone notes that are absent from Western instruments. It is one of the most stirring of the Arabian maqamat, a scale that includes a narrow step, followed by a very wide interval. This evokes a sense of drama in the majority of listeners. If you compare this with my Nihawand piece, both have a sad “minor scale“ feel, but while Nihawand is melancholy, Saba is downright foreboding. The phrasing takes a little