Darbuka Mastery

Darbuka Mastery · free course

Level 1: Building Strong Foundations

Eleven lessons that take a complete beginner from holding the darbuka to switching between ornamented rhythms at speed.

Work through the lessons in order — each one builds on the last. Don’t move past a lesson until you’ve understood it entirely. Every rhythm has a tab you can play aloud at practice tempo, with an optional metronome.

At around an hour of practice a week, expect Level 1 to take two to three months. Practise more often and it comes quicker.

· Introduction Welcome to Darbuka Mastery Level 1: how the course is laid out, why strong foundations matter and how much to practise.

Part 1 Foundations

  1. 1 Darbuka Structure & Origins What the darbuka is, where it comes from, the names it goes by, the main types available and the parts of the drum.
  2. 2 How to Hold the Darbuka How to hold the darbuka securely sitting on a chair or on the floor, and how to choose a space that lets its sound travel.
  3. 3 The Doum Learn the Doum, the darbuka’s deep bass stroke: the technique, how to practise it and the common mistakes that make it sound flat.
  4. 4 The Tek Learn the Tek, the darbuka’s sharp, high-pitched rim stroke: technique, practice tips and the common mistakes to avoid.

Part 2 Your first rhythm

  1. 5 Reading Drum Tabs How to read the drum tabs used in this course: beat cycles, rhythmic emphasis (Iqa’) and counting four notes within each beat.
  2. 6 The Heavy Sa’idi Learn your first darbuka rhythm, the Heavy Sa’idi, by saying it, walking it and then playing it on the drum.

Part 3 Ornamentation

  1. 7 The Ka Learn the Ka, your first non-dominant-hand stroke and the key to ornamentation: technique, practice and common mistakes.
  2. 8 Basic Ornamentation Ornament the Heavy Sa’idi with the Ka in three progressions, and learn the fast Teka that links one cycle into the next.

Part 4 Putting it together

  1. 9 Using a Metronome What a metronome is, how to set one up, how to play the Heavy Sa’idi in time with it, and why every musician needs one.
  2. 10 The Maqsum Family Meet the Maqsum family – Maqsum, Baladi and Sa’idi – the bread and butter of Arabic rhythms, in basic and ornamented forms.
  3. 11 Jumping Between Rhythms Link rhythms together: when to play basic or ornamented rhythms, and drills for switching between them seamlessly with a metronome.
· Closing Congratulations on finishing Level 1: a recap of what you’ve learnt, how long to practise, and why the basics must be solid first.

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