A maqam close to Saba in melodic logic, but structurally different from it because the second degree is lowered by a semitone. In practical form it begins from Saba Zamzama on Dukah (D), followed by Hijaz on Jaharkah (F).

Saba Zamzama is a relatively uncommon maqam that can be understood as a form of Saba in which the second degree is lowered by a semitone instead of taking the usual Saba interval. Because of that, it usually contains no quarter-tones and sounds closer to Kurd than to the traditional pure Saba profile.

Saba Zamzama is a relatively uncommon maqam in the Arabic repertoire. Theoretical descriptions present it as a form of Saba in which the second degree is lowered by a semitone rather than preserving the usual Saba microtonal interval. For that reason, in its common form it contains no quarter-tones and often sounds closer to a Kurdish field than to traditional Saba itself. Modern analytical literature also treats it as relatively later in taste and usage compared with core older Saba usage.

• Dukah (D): the tonic in the common practical presentation
• The second degree above the tonic: the decisive structural difference from ordinary Saba, because here it is lowered by a semitone rather than shaped by the traditional Saba interval
• Jaharkah (F): an important upper point because it carries Hijaz in the common explanation
• Husayni (A): an upper point that may support further Saba Zamzama treatment in some analyses

• Its sayr retains some familiar pathways of Saba, but does not reproduce the exact same auditory effect
• Because the second degree lacks the quarter-tone Saba inflection, the maqam moves more easily toward Kurd and Athar Kurd
• It should not be performed as if it were pure Kurd, because its logic still belongs to the Saba world in phrasing and expressive route rather than in interval list alone
• Its modern feel and ease on equally divided instruments make it distinct from classical Saba performance practice

• Establish Saba Zamzama on Dukah (D)
• Reveal the semitone-lowered second degree clearly
• Bring out Hijaz on Jaharkah (F)
• Move easily toward Kurd or Athar Kurd in treatment when needed
• Return while preserving its tie to the world of Saba rather than to pure Kurd

• The main distinction from ordinary Saba is that Saba Zamzama lowers the second degree by a semitone and usually contains no quarter-tones in its common form
• It stands close to Kurd in overall sound, and some modern literature even describes it or relates it as a Kurdish-type Saba, yet it is not pure Kurd because its melodic pathways still retain a Saba relationship
• There is also a strong relation to Athar Kurd in terms of ease of modulation, and modern analytical writing explicitly notes how readily Saba Zamzama may move toward Athar Kurd
• Some educational explanations describe it simply as the form of Saba produced when Sikah is replaced by Kurd in the lower area, while modern analytical literature prefers the broader formulation: a form of Saba with a second degree lowered by a semitone
• In practical analysis of some works, an upper Saba Zamzama on Husayni (A) may also appear, which shows that the brief scalar explanation alone is not always sufficient