Prerequisite: music theory
Most music that we hear today is a descendant of Ionian (do re mi fa so la ti do) and Aeolian mode (la ti do re mi fa so la), which originated in Greece. Those are the most common and familiar modes. Following is possibly the pentatonic system (do re mi so la) or the blues (do re me fa fi so te do).
In the post Harmonic Intervals and Resonance, I emphasized polyphony. It is a strong basis of Western music, which values contrary movement and lush layering. Arabic music on the other hand, has more parallel movement and is relatively sparse in instrumentation. Another thing is its subtlety in pitch. Pitch distinctions go beyond semitones to quartertones, and even microtones.
Enter Maqam World. A maqam is almost a mode, built with trichords, tetrachords, and pentachords. Maqams are not limited to the Arabian world. A lot of Eastern traditional music have similar equivalents to the maqam concept with different structure and microtones that give each its exotic flavour. These pitch subtleties used to be the norm, whereas now we have equal temperament deeply engraved into our brains.
A good place to start is probably oud music~
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