 |
 Base-4 hand drumming rhythms |
Updated: 10 Mar 2009 |
This page has notation and difficulty ratings for hand drumming rhythms (mostly Middle Eastern) that can be done in four or eight counts.
This page is part of Kamuran's Guide for Doumbek Players.
"ADNAN" [easy-medium, source unknown] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D - t - D D T - == me (open) D t k t k t k D D T t k "ARABIC" [easy-medium] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D D t k T t k t k T t k D D t k T t k D T t k BALADI / baladii / BELADI / BELEDI [easy-medium to medium, Egyptian, some syncopated] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D D - T D - T - == Carmine, Jas (basic) D D T K T D T K T T K == Carmine (filled) D D t t D t t - == me (open) D D - t D - T - == Mas'ud (open) D D t k t D t k T - == Mas'ud (standard) D k D t k t k D t k T - == Mas'ud (busy) D D t k t D t k t t k == Nott; Jas (filled) D t k D D t k t t k t k == Nott (inverted); also see Guwazi/Gawazi below D D K T D K T t k == Mafufo D D t k D D t k t == Mafufo; also see Saidi below also: [medium] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D k D k t k t k D k t k T k t k == Mas'ud (closed) D D t S D t S t k == Jas (classical Egyptian) D t K - t k D t k T t k == Steve #2 D D T K D T G t k == Steve #3 D G T G d k t k P t k == Steve #5; [medium-tough] D D r s T D r s T t k == Steve #6 D t K - t K D D P - == Steve #8 BAMBI / bambii [medium, syncopated; also see Sombati below] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D - - K T K T - K T - K D D == Carmine D D D K T - K T - K T - K == Carmine (variation), Jas; ** D - T k - k T - T k - k D - D == Jas ** It's the same as the one above, but starting on beat 7 BOLERO [easy-medium] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D - T - T T D T == me (open) D - T - T K D K == me (open) D t k t k t k d k == Daveed (also see Rhumba) D k k T k T k T d == me d - k t k t k d - == I like to use this with "Bir Demet" D - T - T - D - == Carmine (basic) D - K T K T K D - == Carmine (filled); syncopated also: [medium] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D k k T k k T k T k D T == Nott, Jas D tkk T k T k D k == Jas; ** ** In the 'tkk', the two Ka can be done with a roll of two fingers. ** Also see the Peach Curry version of Bolero on the Base-8 page. COCEK (say Cho-Chek) [easy-medium, syncopated] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D - t T - t T k == Jas ** count 3-3-2; Uncle Mafufo says this is related to Malfouf DARJ [medium] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- - D - D - T T - falaahii / FALAHI / falahin [easy-medium, upper/southern Egyptian] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D t k t D k t k == Jas 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D T - T D - T - == Mas'ud (open); Jas (Maqsum) D T - T D t k T - == Mas'ud (alternate) D T t k T D t k T - == also see Baladi above D T T K T D T K T T K == Carmine (filled Maqsum) also: [medium/medium-tough] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D g k g D k g k == Nott; Jas D d k d D k d k == me (no Grabs) Also see "falaahii" on the Base-2 page. GHAWAZEE [easy-medium, upper/southern Egyptian] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- t t D t D D T - == me (open) t k t k D t k D D T - == Jas (similar to Qaayim wa'nisf) "GROUCHO" [easy-medium] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- T T T D T T T D D == Uncle Mafufo GUWAZI / GAWAZI [easy-medium] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D - D D k - k - == me (open) D - D D - - T - == Mas'ud (open Guwazi) D t k D D t k t T - == Mas'ud (standard Guwazi) D t k D D t k T t k t k == Daveed (Gawazi) D - k D D T - k t k == me (variation) HAGALLA (long) [medium, from Dieter Hanf via Ulf] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+-
D t k T t k t k T t k T KARATCHI [easy-medium, Egyptian, modern?] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- T - T D T - T D == me (open) T k T D T t T D == ditto T k k T D T k t k T D == Jas KHALIGI / KHALEEGY See Malfouf below. MALFOUF / MALFUF / malfuuf [easy-medium to medium, Arabic/Egyptian, some syncopated] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ** count 3-3-2 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D - - t - - t - == Nott [also see "Wahida" below] D - - T - - T - == Carmine (basic); Jas D - k T - k T == Jas D - k T - k T k == Carmine (one ka) D k k T k k T k == Carmine (filled); Jas D k t K t k T k == Carmine (running) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ** count 2-3-3 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D - t k - k t - == Nott: delicate, spacey D - t K - k T - == Jas: spacey D - k T - k t k == Mafufo (Malfouf) ** Uncle Mafufo says it's "irresistible" for dancers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ** count 3-2-3 ?? 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D - - D - k t k == Mafufo (Khaleegy, Saudi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ** count 2-2-2-2 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D - t K - - T - == ?? D - T - T - T D == Jas (Saudi, Latin style) ** Uncle Mafufo said (I think) that malfouf is 'cabbage flower' in Egyptian. MAQSOUM / MAQSUM / maqsuum [easy-medium, Egyptian; per Uncle Mafufo, also Lebanese and Arabic] ** open: see Falahi 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D k - k D - k - == Daveed D k - k D - t - == Nott (Gawazi) D K - k D k T - == Mafufo (Falahin)? D T - T D - T - == Mafufo; Carmine, Jas (basic) also: 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D T k k T D k k T k k == Nott; Jas (filled); also see Falahi D t k t D k T t k == Nott (walking) D T K T D K T T K == Carmine (one ka) D T k T D k T - == Jas (walking) D k T k D k T t k == me (walking) ** Uncle Mafufo says the walking version is "more modern". D t k T K D k T - == Numair Madhi also: [medium] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D S t k S D t k S t k == Jas (accented) D d K k d D k t k d k k == me (no Grabs) D D k k G D k k G - == Nott ** Jas says maqsuum means "broken in half" (also called Masmoudi Saghir). MASMOUDI / MASMOODI / MASMUDI [easy-medium] ----- ** The last half can be a separate rhythm! 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D t k t T t k t T - D t k t k T t k t k D k == variation 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D D - T D - T T == Jas (Masmoudi Kebir) NAWARI [medium, Syria, line dance] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- d D k k d D k k d - == me: without grabs [easy-medium] G D k k G D k k G - == Nott - k D - k k G D k k G k G == Jas (Nawwari); [medium-tough] T D - T D - T - == Carmine T D k k T D k k T k k == Carmine (filled) Rhumba / rumbaa [medium, from Jas] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D t k t K T K D k D t k T k T k D k == me (variation) SAIDI / SAIIDI / SAYYIDI / sayyidii [medium, syncopated] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D T - D D - T - == Carmine (basic); Jas D T t k D D t k T t k == Jas, Dieter Hanf D T T K D D T K T T K == Carmine (filled) T K D T K D D T K T T K == Carmine (variation); ** ** Jas says "although the rhythm theoretically has a DUM at the beginning, after the initial cycle of the rhythm that beat it is often alternatively played as a TEK." D - t k - k D - D - - - t k t - == Nott; also see Laz D - t k t - D - D - - - t k t - == Mafufo D k t - k D D t k T t k == Jas (syncopated at the beginning) D k S - k k D D D - t k S - t k == Jas (syncopated with 3 DUM's) ** Darbuka Dave liked to play another Doum on beat 2 for a "super Saidi" SAUDI / sa'udI 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D - D - T == Jas D - k D - k T k == Jas D k k D k k D k == Nott (Saudi) D k k D k k T k == Daveed; Carmine (Khaligi) D k k G k k G k == Nott SAWT 8 [easy-medium, syncopated] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D - T T - D - T T SERTO / SIRTO [medium, Greek, syncopated] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D - k D - k t k D - k T - k t k == Jas, Mas'ud, Nott; (count 2-3-3) ** To me, this sounds best at medium-slow speed; about 120 beats per minute or one time through in about 4 seconds. SOMBATI [medium, syncopated; also see Bambi above] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D - k T T D k T k == me D - k T k T D k k T t k == Jas D - k T k T D k k T k k == Carmine waaHida 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- D - - T - - T - == Jas (saghiira); also see Malfouf above 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D T K T K T T K T K T T K == Carmine (Wahda) D t k t k T t k t k T k == Jas ("tawil") D - T k - k T - T k - k T - k == Jas (khafiff); also see Bambii above YAMANI [medium-tough, syncopated] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- - t - D - t m - == Jas (accompanies end of Sawt poem) ZAFFA / zaffah / EL ZAFFAH / Murrabba Jaza'ira [easy-medium, modern?] 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- D t t t t D t t - == Carmine D t r t K m K m - == me (variation); [medium] D t k t t D t t - == Jas #1 D t k t t D t t t t == Jas #2 [medium] D t k t t D t D - == Jas #3 D D D t t k t k t t == Jas (Hossam Ramzy's "Big Zaffa") ** Jas says this is a rhythm "used in the Egyptian wedding processional. Its basic nature is that of a march." For rhythms that can be done in two or four counts, see the Base-2 page. For rhythms that can be done in even multiples of eight counts, see the Base-8 page.
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Original page posted:
January 14, 2000 • Links tested: January 1, 2011
• Last tweaked:
May 14, 2009
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