Makam finder
Play your instrument or sing: the pitch distribution of the melody is compared with makam templates derived from 1,000 recordings by master performers; the three most likely makams and the tonic are shown.
Score file: MusicXML (.xml, .musicxml, .mxl), MIDI or abc. Its pitches are compared with how each makam uses pitches in the sheet music archive; the file is read in your browser and sent nowhere.
Recognised makams:
Most likely makams
Makams sharing the same scale (Uşşak and Beyâtî, Hüseynî and Muhayyer) cannot be told apart by pitch distribution; they differ in melodic progression (seyir). Consider all three candidates. The line is the first candidate's template.
For a score file, the line shows how the top candidate uses pitches in the archive. Tested on the archive's MIDI and abc files (leaving each piece out of the calculation): top candidate about 59%, top three 86% correct.
Play for at least 30 seconds; longer melodies give better estimates. Microphone audio is processed only in your browser and never sent anywhere.
How does it work?
The pitches of the melody are measured and folded into one octave to form a distribution (at 1/3-comma resolution). It is compared, at every shift, with each makam’s average distribution measured from master performances; the best shift gives the tonic. Tested on 1,000 recordings: for full recordings the makam is right 65% of the time, 88% within the top three; for a 30-second excerpt 34% and 60%, or 52% and 80% when the melody ends on the tonic. The tonic is found from the melody’s last note 90% of the time.
Data: MTG OTMM (Universitat Pompeu Fabra), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 makam recognition and tonic datasets. Method: Gedik and Bozkurt (2010).
Add it to your home screen as a separate app: opens with one tap and works offline too. Free.
What is the makam finder?
The makam finder is a free makam recognition tool that estimates which makam a melody is in, whether you play or sing it into the microphone or upload an audio recording. The pitches of the melody are measured, turned into a 53-comma distribution and compared with the distributions of 20 makams derived from master performances. It then shows the three most likely makams and the melody's tonic (karar).
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the makam of the song I'm playing?
Press Start listening, play or sing for at least 30 seconds and, if you can, end the melody on the tonic; then press the finish button. If you have a recording, you can also upload it as a file.
How accurate is the makam finder?
On a full recording it finds the makam about two times out of three, and within the top three candidates 88% of the time. The rate drops on a 30-second excerpt and rises when the melody ends on the tonic. The tonic itself is found with 90% accuracy.
Why can't it tell Uşşak from Beyatî?
Makams that share the same scale (such as Uşşak and Beyatî, or Hüseyni and Muhayyer) have almost identical pitch distributions; they differ in their seyir, that is, where the melody starts and where it pauses. So consider the three candidates together.
Which makams does it recognise?
It recognises 20 common makams whose templates were derived from master performances in the MTG OTMM dataset; the full list is on the tool page. The sound is analysed only in your browser and is never sent anywhere.