Mugam, classical style repertoire of Baku
Mugam (in Azeri language, mugham or muqam can also be found) is the equivalent of maqam in Arabic, makam in Turkish, and avaz in Persian.
It is a modal structure made up of a range (not necessarily on an octave), of a hierarchy of degrees endowed with particular functions, but especially of compulsory patterns, directions of development and possibilities of modulations. When developed through modulations (called shu'be), the mugam becomes a dastgah, a system. Mugam also designates the art or science of mugam, that is to say the Azeri learned music, which we propose to write with a capital letter in French.