www.mdconnect.net/~xe

Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I am barely an amateur.

These exercises are based on material that others were kind enough to share with me. I am attempting to present it in a simple, organized fashion 1) to help others get a feel for Middle Eastern rhythms and 2) to help me get a little better at it. These exercises were developed to foster a local drum circle, perhaps they could help you do the same thing.

If you are interested in exploring things a bit further take a look at Jas's Middle Eastern Rhythm FAQ.

These exercises are dedicated to Daveed Korup, who gave me my first taste of this wonderful music. He is an amazing drummer and, more importantly, a wonderful human being.

How To Hold Your Drum.

Assuming you are using a Dumbek the traditional method is to rest it on the thigh opposite your dominant hand. If you are right handed, rest your drum on your left thigh with the head in your lap. Reverse the drum if you are left handed.

You can also hold the drum between your legs so it is front in front of you. This also works for other types of drums. I currently use a small Djembe. I could rest it on my thigh, but I prefer it between my legs.

Notation Conventions.

Since these exercises are for very simple basic patterns I will be sticking to only three symbols: "D," "k" and "t," also called "Dum," "Ka" and "Tek."

Dum - This is a bass tone played by striking in the middle of the drum with your dominant hand. Should be slightly curved and the tone should be deep and resonant. If you are right handed "Dum" is played with your right hand. If you are left handed it is played with the left.

Ka - This is a high tone played with you non-dominant hand by striking near the rim of your drum with the tips of your first three fingers. If you are right handed use your left hand. If left handed use your right.

Tek - This is a high tone just like "Ka," but it is played with your dominant hand. As with "Ka," you strike near the rim of your drum with the tips of your first three fingers.

Each space in the pattern notation equals a 16th note. The "Dums," "Kas" and "Teks" are shown over a 16 count (One ee and ah, two ee and ah, three ee and ah, four ee and ah, etc.) Rather than go into a long explanation of time signatures and note values I have included links to midi files for each pattern. Each example will be 1 time slow (120 beats per minute), 4 times slow, 4 times medium (200 beats per minute) and 4times fast (300 beats per minute). After you listen to a few of them and look at the notation you'll get the idea.

The patterns marked with part numbers in parentheses can be played simultaniously by two or more drummers. Some of the others may lend themselves to combining as well. If it sounds good to you then it works.

One More Thing

I have heard more than one good teacher say "If you can say it, you can play it." It is very easy to get confused if you just try to play the patterns while looking at them. Try saying the "Dums," "Kas" and "Teks" out loud as you play. Better yet, before you play a pattern just say it out loud a few times, then say it and play it at the same time. Don't worry about sounding silly; it works. You'll find your hands have a much easier time of it when you are saying it out loud as you play.