Rhythm notation key
	Updated: 16 Feb 2005

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

Learn how to make specific drum sounds on goblet-shaped drums like the doumbek and learn drumming rhythms by counting.

CONTENTS

> Notation key / How to make specific drum sounds
> Doum variations, Tek/Ka variations

> Go with the flow

> Counting the rhythms

> Difficulty ratings

 

Notation key / How to make specific drum sounds

 

D = "Doum"	With your first hand, hold your fingers closed and flat. Hit the center of the drum head, allowing echo and reverberation (reverb). I also put stuffing inside the drum to reduce the echo - especially when accompanying melody instruments. Also called "Dum" or "Dom".
T = "Tek"	With the fingerpads of the first two or three fingers on your first hand, hit the outermost edge of the drum head. This should make a higher-pitched sound compared to the Doum. Also called "Tak" or "Es".
K = "Ka"	Like Tek, but with your second hand.
M = "Muffle"	With your first hand, play a flat Doum without echo/reverb (think "trap"). I think this is also called a Slap.
r = "Roll"	Make two or more very quick Tek or Ka hits in a single beat. I use these sequences with my fingerpads or fingernails: 2-1, 2-1-2, 3-2-1, 3-2-1-3, and so on.
P = "Pop"	Pressing near the center of the head with one hand, play Tek or Ka with the other hand. Vary the pitch by changing the hand placement and pressure on the drum. Less distance between hand and edge gives a higher pitch.
S = "Snap"	Snap your finger to strike the edge as for Tek/Ka. This one isn't in my repertoire, but I've seen others do it. It's also a standard stroke for frame drum.
G = "Grab"	I think this is a scooping motion between center and edge of drum head to make a really loud sound. Also not in my repertoire.
c = "Clap"	Clap your hands! Once.
"Spray"	Use your thumb to flick your fingernails in succession in a roll near the center of the head, usually starting with the third (ring) or fourth (shortest) finger.
"Thump"	Use your thumb to flick your first or second finger to hit near the center of the head. Change the sound by changing the finger followthrough, palm orientation, and so on. Here is a more detailed explanation:   Face your palms together. With the middle (longest) finger on your first hand bring make an O with your thumb. Move your finger back toward your palm a little so that your fingernail is in the center of the thumbpad. Move your second hand closer. Flick your finger across your thumb so that it strikes the palm of your second hand. Practice light and heavy thumps. Change the angles of your hands so that the finger strikes in different ways (flat stop with the top of the fingernail, angled stop with the edge of the fingernail, bounce). Now practice this on the drum head to make different Thump sounds...

When used, the lowercase letters (d, t, k) indicate a softer sound. Lowercase = softer. Right... well, rolls are an exception: lowercase r is used to help distinguish it from uppercase P (for Pop).

Also, substitute Tek for Ka and vice versa if that works better for you.

Doum variations

You can get different sounds by using your fist or knuckles or hitting a little closer to the edge - depending on the drum head.

Tek/Ka variations

You might be able to get different sounds by hitting closer to the center - depending on the drum head.

Go with the flow

Change what you play to fit or complement the situation. Please keep in mind that the notations in this guide are just suggestions. Many variations are possible for a given rhythm.

Counting the rhythms

For each rhythm, I've assigned a number of "beats" or "counts". For me, this works better than seeing notes on a staff, which puts my mind into singing mode.

What I call a "4/8-count rhythm" is one that can be played while you count from 1 to 4 or from 1 to 8 before the rhythm repeats. Experienced musicians should also be able to take such a rhythm and play it using sixteen counts (which would be very slow) or two counts (which would be very fast).

Here's an example using a rhythm I've heard called Maqsum.

To me, the 4-count and 8-count versions are easier to use.
As you can see, it's the same rhythm, just in different scales of time.

Difficulty ratings

For each rhythm and variation, I have assigned a difficulty rating based on count length, hand motion, memorability and syncopation/"choppiness". The ratings (and other bits of information) are in square brackets []. There are five ratings: easy, easy-medium, medium, medium-tough, and tough.

"Easy" rhythms are relatively short, quick to learn, and memorable.
"Tough" rhythms can take a while to learn - and re-learn.

Kudos to Javaria for her generous assistance with this!  
 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Your feedback is most welcome. Would you like to send me email?

Original page posted: November 22, 2000 • Links tested: January 1, 2011 • Last tweaked: May 14, 2009
 
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