DARBUKA

Position

The darbuka or doumbek or egyptian tabla is probably the most popular drum from the middle east. It is placed on the left leg (for right-handed) and the left arm rests on the body of the instrument.

Doum

To produce the bass sound, you hit the drum with your flat right hand and let it bounce off immediately. The fingers are together and straight.

Pa

For the slap sound on the darbuka, the finger must be more loose than for the bass and you keep them on the skin. It is similar to a slap on a conga. This stroke is not easy in the beginning, it takes some time to get the right sound.

Tak

For the rimstoke with the right hand you put together middle- and ring finger and hit the very edge of the skin. On the left hand use the same fingers. Here it is a little bit more tricky. With a wrist movement you “throw” them down onto to the rim. It seems to be impossible in the beginning, but if you give it some time it will come.

The left-hand double stroke

This stroke is used to do ornamentations and make the rhythm a little more “spicy”. First hit the skin with the left ring-finger followed by the left index finger. The sound should be muffled. Again, most of the energy comes from the wrist which does a sidewards movement.

see video:
mpg or wmv

goto Part 2 -->