Dastgāh-e Māhur  Dastgāh-e Māhur or Dastgaah-e Maahur () is one of the seven "Dastgāh"s of Persian Music (Classically, Persian Music is organized into seven "Dastgāhs" and five "Āvāz"es, however from a merely technical point of view, one can consider them as an ensemble of 12 "Dastgāh"s). The intervallic structure of the mode of "Māhur" partly parallels that of the major mode in western classic music. Yet, because of the other elements which go into the making of Persian modes, probably no melody in the major mode can be said to be in the mode of "Māhur". A far closer analogue from an intervallic standpoint is the Obikhod scale (widespread in Russian medieval Znamenny chant and folk song) and the Jewish Adonai malakh mode. The modal structure of "Māhur" is shown below for "Māhur C" :  The characteristics of this mode are:  In "Dastgāh-e Māhur", because of its many diverse "Guše"s, the role of the "Forud" is very significant in binding the whole repertoire together. In the "Forud", the 3rd and the 2nd below receive emphasis, and usually the finalis is approached from below. The following score is a typical "Forud" of "Māhur", transcribed here in "Māhur C" :  The finalis may be approached from above. This type, as shown in the next score, is less typical and gives no emphasis to the tetrachord below the finalis:  A third type of "Forud", given in the following score emphasis the four notes above and below the finalis:  An authentic style of performance in "Dastgāh-e Māhur" customarily begins with an improvisation under the name of "Moqaddame" (meaning "introduction" in Persian) before the "Darāmad"s. This "Moqaddame" is sometimes followed by a group of metric pieces, which are of recent origins and not of sufficient interest or authenticity to be considered here. The "Moqaddame" itself is nearly always included in a performance. It is a stately but unornate declamation which sets the tone for the "Dastgāh", even though its characteristics are not maintained throughout.