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How to Learn Arabic Drums

Music is integral to Arab culture and drums provide the base for many melodies. Thought to be invented around the beginning of 1200s, the drum spread throughout the Middle Eastern region and was eventually even accepted and adapted in India, brought there by migrating Muslims. The drums are traditionally made from ceramic or metal material to ensure durability against the harsh environment in the region. Learning the drums takes practice and patience.

Things You'll Need

Time signature sheets
Arabic drum
Arabic drum sheet music
Metronome

Instructions

- 1
  Purchase a good quality goblet drum, which is called a tablah in Egypt or a darbuka in Turkey, made from copper.
- 2
  Learn time signatures. This is the framework that following beats will be placed upon. Listen to pre-recorded beats or use a metronome to hear what they sound like, as well as memorize what they look like on sheet music.
- 3
  Hit the drum on the edge, middle and outside to determine what different sounds are emitted from the drum when struck in certain parts.
- 4
  Strike the drum with different parts of your hand, from the tips to the meaty palms to evaluate what kinds of sounds are created.
- 5
  Determine how to create more or less sound from the drum, and how to moderate the vibrations with one hand as a damper, by striking the drum with more or less force.
- 6
  Listen to different recordings of certain Arabic beats, specific to the region. Attempt to copy them, using both hands in a gentle up and down motion.
- 7
  Continue to practice certain beats on their own at the beginning of each practice session. This is comparable to practicing scales at the beginning of a piano practice session and will build not only dexterity but knowledge of each rhythm.

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