By Master

Ruben van Rompaey

Worldcopyright 2014 by Digital Music Print

De Waghemakerestraat 14

2060 Antwerpen

Belgium

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

into different languages.

Ruben van Rompaey (1978, Bergen op Zoom, Holland) is an

As a touring artist he performed at a variety of international

Ruben has been a staff teacher for drums and darbuka at the departments

of Jazz and Turkish Music at Codarts Institute Holland, before founding his

own Eastern Expressions International School of Drums & Percussion. method on the subject of drums and darbuka, which has been translated

Besides being an active solo artist and educator Ruben currently has eight solo albums released. He is the author of articles, educational books and a unique

Ruben is official endorser of Turkish Cymbals Istanbul.

music festivals, which has brought him to various places around the world, such as USA, Europe, Japan, China and Turkey.

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award-winning master percussionist and composer.

He has become well known for his Eastern Expressions concept and is an internationally recognized specialist of Oriental music and Jazz.

FOREWORD

The darbuka, a cool hand drum which has made its way from oriental music

into the world of modern beats. With its unique sounds, charming body

shape, handy size and mesmerizing rhythms the darbuka has already

become one of the most popular hand drums ever.

mind, it can boost our energy level.

This book presents a selection of exciting and useful darbuka rhythms plus

bonus materials for you, dancers, drummers and anyone else who is

interested in the art of oriental rhythms.

Notice that this book was not designed as an ultimate guide covering every

existing rhythm and technique.

Above all, it serves as a journey of inspiration!

I would like to stress that its not important how fast you get through this

book or how many rhythms you will learn.

Take your time and make each rhythm feel good before going to a next one,

and they will gradually become a part of you.

Open this book and reveal the mysterious world of darbuka rhythms.

Good luck and enjoy!

Ruben van Rompaey

Pictures by C.H. & Rachel van Rompaey

Its a well known fact that drumming is good for our health:

it stimulates our brain in a very positive way, helps balancing the body and

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CONTENTS

DARBUKA RHYTHMS

Maqsum, Saiidi, Nawari, Ghawazee, Super Saiidi, Baladii, Super Baladii,

MORE RHYTHMS

Semai, Makhlas, Turkish Aksak, Shoush, Paidushko, Darj, Yrk Semai, Raqs

Chaabi, Fezzani, Devr-I Hindi, Devr-I Turan, Kalamatian, Lesnoto,

Rachenitsa, Aksak, Evfer, Raks, Oynak, Mrekkeb Semai, Karsilamas, Roman

Aksak, Zeybekiko, Aksak Semai, Curcuna

WORLD RHYTHMS

Samba, Funk, Disco, Reggae, Hip Hop, Turkish March, Krfez, Zouk, Joropo,

Tango, Candombe, Gankino Horo, Bulera, Halgerten, Dangdut, Chaal,

Soukous, Wsh, Matsuri, Samul Nori

PART 3. HELLO PATTERNS

PART 4. GO FOR IT!

Sombati, Wahida Kabir, Bambi, Conga Masri, Bolero, Rhumba, Msemmen,

Jaark, Wahraani, Zaffah, ifte Telli, Masmudi Kabir, Chobi, oek, Adani,

Dabke, Sudasi, Tsamiko, Malfuf, Saudi, Bayou, Falaahii, Ayub, Karachi, Zaar,

Khaligi, Fox

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FOREWORD

CONTENTS

PART 1. HELLO DARBUKA

DARBUKA BASICS

BASIC TECHNIQUE

Position, Dum, Tek, Ka, Slap, Damp Techniques, Nail Roll/Tick

PART 2. HELLO RHYTHMS

PART 1

This chapter is meant to be a quick reference guide on the subject of

darbuka basics and techniques.

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Middle East, Eastern Europe and North Africa.

Due to its unique sounds the darbuka can be heard in various musical

genres such as Pop, Funk, Disco and Hip Hop.

The Turkish darbuka has a sharp, exposed edge with tuning bolts placed

outside the rim. Compared to the Egypt model its very light in weight.

The playing technique is based on so called finger-snapping.

The Egypt darbuka has a round edge with tuning bolts placed inside the

rim. Compared to the Turkish model its much heavier in weight.

The rounded edges allows a different playing technique.

The darbuka is a pioneer from the family of goblet drums.

Its well known as the belly dance drum and is popular in music from the

The darbuka, as it is called in Turkey, is known by different names, such as:

tablah (Egypt/Middle East), dmbelek (also Turkey), toumberleki (Greece), frame drum technique, an ancient drum constructed of a round, wooden

frame. Although the shape of the darbuka looks similar to that of the

African djembe, their playing techniques are very different.

Models 1. Turkish Model 2. Egypt Model

doumbek (USA). Notice the similarity between doumbek and dum-tek.

Its said that the name darbuka comes from the Arabic word 'darba' (to strike). The playing technique has probably been evolved from

DARBUKA BASICS

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followed by the clockwise method for fine tuning.

a light bulb with a dimmer. By warming the drum skin it gets tighter and

produces a higher tone. The light also creates a nice visual effect.

Sizes

Ceramic darbukas have a natural animal skin (goat/fish), which is attached to the shell with glue, using ropes to fixate it. This process requires a lot of experience.

These drums dont have tuning bolts but carry an internal light system:

A synthetic skin is adjusted by passing it over the metal or aluminium hoop.

The drum head is tuned by using a key and tuning bolts. Correct tuning is

Egypt darbuka skins are usually made of synthetic material (plastic, fyber).

Materials & Tuning

How high or how low you tune your drum is basically up to you. However, there aresignificant tuning differences between aluminium and ceramic darbukas.

Tuning very much depends on the materials of the skin and the darbuka itself.Plastic skins are weatherproof and water resistant. Animal skins on the contrary, are extremely sensitive to any changes in moisture. This makes them much more vulnerable and causes the sound of the drum to drop in pitch. Hot weather makes the skin tighten, which causes the sound to go up and sometimes even tear.

done by using a combination of the criss-cross technique (see next picture),

The regular amount of tuning bolts for darbukas is 6-8.

This book deals with the playing technique of the Egypt darbuka. Although there are small differences between handmade and factory made darbukas, traditionally they are subdivided in three basic sizes:

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1) Solo/classic Darbuka high pitch (approx. 8-9 inch)Used for soloing

2) Sumbati - medium pitch (approx. 9-10 inch)Used to accompany the soloist and soloing 3) Doholla bass, low pitch (approx. 10-12 inch or larger)Mainly used for back-up and soloing (modern style)

AdministratorBijschrift

5 4 3 2 1

Darbukas can be made of different materials, such as cast aluminium, copper or ceramic (clay). The body of the darbuka can be decorated with various

ornamentations, such as mother of pearl mosaic inlays, hand paintings

or hammered figures. Some are painted in just one basic colour. CountingLike any other instrument, you need to know how to count the fingers:

Decoration

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Some major cities where high quality darbukas are manufactured are:

Playing Styles

1) Classical Style (Egypt/Arab) This style mainly focuses on the ring fingers.

Its characterized by an open, powerful sound.

2) Modern Style (Turkish)

Modern (Turkish) style focuses on both ring fingers as well as the index fingers, which has become famous as split hand technique.

Its characterized by advanced patterns and a busier way of playing.

In this book both styles are mentioned

All the rhythms in this book are written in two different ways: syllables and

classical music notation. We will be using the following counting system:

Time Signature

4/4 = 4 4

1 - + - 2 - + - 3 - + - 4 - + -

Say: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

A) Syllables

Every rhythm is broken down into basic fundamental syllables.

This is often referred to as the rhythms skeleton.*

Basic DUM TEK TEK DUM TEK

Filled DUM TEK keke TEK DUM keke TEK keke

Being able to sing the rhythms (and patterns) is very important for any

drummer or dancer. As a drummer youre the time keeper/metronome.

Always count out loud to keep yourself on time. By doing this the sounds

will embed in your head, which will help you feel and understand what you

are playing or dancing to. Remember that a dancer will have to translate all

the sounds into body movements!

Cairo, Alexandria (Egypt) and Istanbul (Turkey).

There are two major playing styles.

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4 4

Example

B) Classical music notation

Being able to read and write classical music notation is a very important skill as

well. Why? Because it serves as a medium for transmission of your musical thoughts and forms the connection to other musical instruments. It helps to increase our understanding of both melodic and rhythmic musical structures. Music notation is a part of the basic tools and nessecary for any musician who wants to function in a professional setting.

conducting skills. This will help you better understand rhythmic structures

and practice your role as a band leader. Conducting is an art that combines the elements of communication and leadership. Here is an example of a regular 4 beat conducting pattern:

C) Conducting

Every drummer should master some basic

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BASIC TECHNIQUE

POSITION

This is the traditional playing style.

The darbuka is placed sideways upon the lap and held under the left arm,

while the left foot is elevated by a support.

the drum is placed sideways upon the lap, the right leg preventing it from

falling. The player holds the drum under the left arm.

Make sure your chair is set up so your knees are bent at about a 90-degree

Drum chair Foot stand

2. Sitting

This is the most common playing style. While sitting on a comfortable chair

1. Standing

angle. A professional drum chair is recommended. If desired a foot stand can be used to raise the left foot.

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DUM DUM (also called DM) is the first basic technique, played with the right, dominant hand. Strike the drum head with four fingers near the centre,

creating an open, resonating sound.

right hand both hands together

Notation

TEK TEK (TAK in Arabic) is the second basic technique. This stroke is produced

by the right, dominant hand ring finger (4) or index finger (2). Stretch the

ring finger and strike the drum at the edge of the head, with the first joint of

the finger. This produces a high pitched, clear open sound.

TEK played softly is called te.

A B

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Notation

2 4 2 4

KA The third basic technique is called KA. This stroke is produced by the ring

finger (4) or index finger (2) of the left, non-dominant hand. Strike the edge

of the skin with the first joint of the ring finger, producing a high pitched,

clear and open sound. When alternating 2 and 4 make sure both fingers hit

the same spot on the drumhead. KA played softly is called ke.

Index finger (split hand)

A B

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Notation

SLAP (PA)

A B

Notation

2 4 2 4

SLAP (or PA) is an accented, closed sound. Slightly cup your hand and hit the skin toward the centre with the right hand side and finger tips.

A variation of SLAP is the GRAB (MUTE) technique. This is a softer,

muffled sound which is produced by hitting the centre area of the skin

with the fingers relaxed and separated.

drum head as a clock. The right place to strike is at about 10 oclock. When in doubt about the correct place to hit the drum skin, imagine the

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DAMP TECHNIQUES

right hand across the skin in an upward or a downward direction.

3 Damp techniques

1.Edge of right hand

2.Edge of thumb

3.Tip of middle/index finger

Damp techniques can add special flavours to your playing.

By allowing more or less pressure to the drum head different pitches can be produced. The left hand plays KA strokes while shifting your

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NAIL ROLL

together at the fulcrum and let them strike the drum head one by one.

The finger sequence: index (2)-middle (3)-ring (4)-little finger (5)

1.Make a fist

2.Nails strike the head one by one

3. Full power!

The nail roll is a rhythmic embellishment which can be a nice addition to a

rhythm or solo. Start from a closed hand position, keeping your fingers tight

Note: an effect stroke using just one finger nail is called nail tick.

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In this chapter you will find a fine selection of essential darbuka rhythms in

even meters. They are popular in belly dance music, music from the Middle

DARBUKA RHYTHMSEast, North Africa and Eastern Europe. The rhythms are presented

randomly, starting off with the notorious king of rhythms: Maqsum.

Let the journey begin!

PART 2

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MAQSUM Origin: Middle East/Egypt

Maqsum is one of the most elementary Middle Eastern rhythms.

It also serves as the basis for other rhythms. Maqsum means divided in

4/4 1 - + - 2 - + - 3 - + - 4 - + -

Basic DUM TEK TEK DUM TEK

Filled DUM TEK keke TEK DUM keke TEK keke

Accented DUM SLAP teke SLAP DUM teke SLAP teke

Walking DUM TEK ke TEK DUM ke TEK keke

Conducting pattern

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Arabic and is primarily used in Egyptian modern en folk music. It is sometimes referred to as 'Wahida wa Nisf' ('half Wahida'). A similar rhythm in Turkish music is called Dyek (two-to-one).

SAIIDI Origin: Egypt

Saiidi is often used as accompaniment rhythm for

Saiidi dances (cane dances for women) and Tahtib (cane dances for men).

The name traditionally refers to a cane dance for men from El Saiid,

a province in upper Egypt. There are many variations of this rhythm.

4/4 1 - + - 2 - + - 3 - + - 4 - + -

Basic DUM TEK DUM DUM TEK

Filled DUM TEK keke DUM DUM keke TEK keke

Accented DUM SLAP teke DUM DUM teke SLAP teke

Var# 1 TEK TEK teke DUM DUM teke TEK teke

Var#2 DUM TEK DUM DUM DUM teke TEK teke

Conducting pattern

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