The Modern Hungarian Maqam has an inner system which is based in several Eastern traditions and shows strong universal principles in that it is able to incorporate all the important and belonging elements. In this way there can be passages not only between the Hungarian folk and maqam music but also between all kind of Eastern music.

The Hungarian Maqam has only structure and rules for the form. The musical content can be filled into the form quite freely. The composer of the Hungarian Maqam does not write down the maqam as a piece. Only the inner symmetries and modes are written. The performing is a realtime application of the specific and determined rules of the given maqam. In the Hungarian Maqam the performer is the composer in one person. A good word could be the "comproviser" expressing the spontaneous and conscious character. (jazz music is somewhat similar in this aspect.)

The player never plays the maqam in the same way. That is the point. In this way the performer can recall always fresh, new energies while playing.