Arabic Musical Instruments_part 4

Now lets take a look at DARBUKA
Darbuka (kup, or goblet drum) is a goblet shaped hand drum used mostly in Hebrew, Arabic, Assyrian, Persian, Balkan, Greek, Armenian, Azeri and Turkish music. Its thin, responsive drumhead and resonance help it produce a distinctively crisp sound. It is of ancient origin, and is believed by some to have been invented before the wheel. It is originally made of red clay. The goat or cow hide stretched across the mouth creates a pleasing sound, especially when heated. The darbuka is known by several names throughout Anatolia, including dümbelek, deblek, dömbek, deblek, güpgüp.



HISTORY OF DARBUKA
In the past, the darbuka was made of leather (fish skin or animal hide) and burnt clay. However, leather gets cold quickly and loses its quality. So it was necessary to invent an instrument that can keep up with the development of other musical instruments. Therefore, the darbuka was modified and made of aluminium, plastic and screws to enhance the sound of the instrument to match the quality of other instruments. The purpose of a darbuka is to establish metres and measures and since folk music and Andalusian music rely on metres and measures, the darbuka was brought in to fulfill this role.

Modern Darbuka


HOW TO PLAY DARBUKA
To play the darbuka, you should hold the instrument from the edge with the left hand while striking the darbuka with the right hand. The movements of the hand should be semi-circular and should maintain the rhythm. You have to use both hands to play the darbuka, which should be placed on your thighs since it is a heavy instrument. Its role is to maintain rhythm.

For more techniques, visit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darbuka

And there is an excellent history on darbuka filled with pictures here
http://www.khafif.com/rhy/his.html



Now lets take a look at some videos!!!





A woman dancing to a darbuka solo!


RIQ (daff)
Riq is a type of tambourine used as a traditional instrument in Arabic music. It is an important instrument in both folk and classical music throughout the Arabic-speaking world. It traditionally has a wooden frame, jingles, and a thin, translucent head made of fish or goat skin. It contains cymbals surrounding its circular body which click together making sounds similar to its cousin instrument, the tamborine. Riq players are capable of great subtlety and virtuosity.



USES OF RIQ
(To put in complez owrds) Exploding in a burst of imaginative freedom to colour the orchestra with gleaming sounds. The riq is also related to worship, as in upper Egypt.