Base-6 hand drumming rhythms
	Updated: Jul 24, 2003

This page has notation and difficulty ratings for hand drumming rhythms (mostly Middle Eastern) that can be done in multiples of six counts.

This page is part of Kamuran's Guide for Doumbek Players.

ANCESTRAL SPIRIT
[medium, syncopated]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-
D - - T T - T   D   D   T   -    D   T   T   -

** From a devotional song called "Spirit of the Ancestors" 
   on the CD "Fire Dance" by Brian Keane and Omar Faruk Tekbilek.

BASIIT
[medium, Andalusian]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-
D   k   D   t k T   k    t   k   D   k   t   k   

CHAUCKA / CHAKA
[medium, Daveed and Durr (1992)]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 
D   t k t k T   t k t k  D   t k T   t k D   K     == Daveed
D   k k D   k k D k k k  D   k k D   k k D   D     == see below

** Nott: from Daveed [medium-tough]

D   t k t k t   t k t k  D   t k t   t k D   t     == Jas
D   t k t k T   t k t k  D   t k T   t k D   T     == Mas'ud; Nott: Durr

MAQMAQ / MOQMOQ
[medium, via 'Uncle' Armando Mafufo]
1-+-2-+-3-+- 4-+-5-+-6-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+- 4-+-5-+-6-+-
D k t k t k  D k t k t k  D k t k t k  D   D   -

Full version: Part 1 is as above.

1-+-2-+-3-+- 4-+-5-+-6-+-
D k t k t k  D   D   -     == Part 2
k D - D - -  . . . . . .   == Part 3
HEY!  - - -  . . . . . .   == Part 4

Put it all together...
Part 1 (do three times), Part 2 (three times), Part 3 (three times), Part 4 (once)
Total: 22 measures.

MOROCCAN / SOUFI / "TRANCE"
[medium, syncopated]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 
D - - K - k D - - - K -  D - - K - K D - K - K -   == Mas'ud: Soufi
D - - k - k D - - - K -  D - - k - k D - K - K -   == Daveed

D - d K - K D - d - K k  D - d K - K D - K - K k   == me 

MOROCCAN 6
[tough, 5 lines of 6 count]
1-+-2-+-3-+-
D k k G k k   == line 1 of 5  
D k k G k G   == line 2 of 5
D k k G k D   == line 3 of 5 
D k D D D D   == line 4 of 5
D k G k G k   == line 5 of 5

MUDAWWAR
[easy-medium, syncopated]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-
D - T - D D D - - - T -  == count 4-6-2

PERSIAN 6/8
[easy-medium]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 
D   t k t   T   t   -
D   r r T   t   t   t

1-+-2--3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 
D   tttK   D   t   K     == 
D   tkkT   D   t   K     == how I'd play the above myself 

SAMAH
[medium-tough]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 
D - T T D - - - D D T T   == line 1 of 3
D - T - - - T - D D T T   == line 2 of 3
D - T - - - T - D - - -   == line 3 of 3

SAWT 12
[medium, syncopated]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-
D - - - T - - D d - T -   == "open"

also: [medium] [tough - if you include part 2 and the delay]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-
D k t k T k t D d k T k   == "filled" (part 1, see below)  

** Jas: full version has 2 parts, part 1 is filled as above; part 2 
   is the same, delayed by a 1/16 note! (if you're doing 12 count, 
   that's a half-count).

SERTO
[medium, syncopated]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-
D - - k D - - k T k - -  D - - k T - - k t k - - 

SHA'BIA
[special, from Jas]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-
T   K   T   K   D   K    T   K   T   K   T   K     == drum 1 (heart)
G   -   D   -   K   G    -   K   D   -   -   -     == drum 2 (lung)

** Heart = [easy-medium]; Lung = [medium]
   Jas: "This is a Moroccan polyrhythm, unusual in Middle Eastern 
   music and hardly a polyrhythm by the standards of continental 
   African rhythm."

SHEESHTOSH
[medium, Persian]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-
D - k t k - D - t - - -  T - k t k - D - t - - -   == Jas: "should swing"
D - t k t - D - t - - -  T - t k t - D - t - - -   == me (T/K switch)

SUDASI
[easy-medium]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-
D   t k t   D   D   t k t    D   D   -   T   -

** Last strike could be a pop, roll, etc. for flair.
   Not all maqsums are base-4...!

SUFI, MOROCCAN
[tough]
D k G k G k  == line 1 of 5
D k k G k k  == ..
D k G k G k  == ..
D G k G k k  == ..
D k k G k D  == line 5 of 5

WHIRLING DERVISH
[tough]
1-+-2-+-3-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+- 1-+-2-+-3-+-
D - - - d -  D - - - d -  D - t k - k  D t k t k - 

YUGRIG
[medium]
1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-
D - t k T - t d T - - - 

** I'd consider playing the second Doum with the off-hand.

For rhythms that can be done in three or six counts, see the Base-3 page.
 

Central Asian rhythms

Your feedback is most welcome!

 

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Original page posted: January 14, 2000. Last tweaked: July 1, 2006.

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