<P> Arabic maqam (Arabic: مقام ‎, translit . maqām, literally "place"; pl . مقامات maqāmāt) is the system of melodic modes used in traditional Arabic music, which is mainly melodic . The word maqam in Arabic means place, location or position . The Arabic maqam is a melody type . It is "a technique of improvisation" that defines the pitches, patterns, and development of a piece of music and which is "unique to Arabian art music". There are seventy two heptatonic tone rows or scales of maqamat . These are constructed from major, neutral, and minor seconds . Each maqam is built on a scale, and carries a tradition that defines its habitual phrases, important notes, melodic development and modulation . Both compositions and improvisations in traditional Arabic music are based on the maqam system . Maqamat can be realized with either vocal or instrumental music, and do not include a rhythmic component . </P> <P> An essential factor in performance is that each maqam describes the "tonal - spatial factor" or set of musical notes and the relationships between them, including traditional patterns and development of melody, while the "rhythmic - temporal component" is "subjected to no definite organization". A maqam does not have an "established, regularly recurring bar scheme nor an unchanging meter . A certain rhythm does sometimes identify the style of a performer, but this is dependent upon his performance technique and is never characteristic of the maqam as such ." The compositional or rather precompositional aspect of the maqam is the tonal - spatial organization including the number of tone levels and the improvisational aspect is the construction of the rhythmic - temporal scheme . </P>

Maqamat is the name of which system of arab music