How to Hold the Darbuka

There are two common sitting positions when playing the darbuka. Depending on how you will sit when playing, there will be a slightly different technique to hold the darbuka securely.

Position 1: Sitting on a chair #

Sit down on a chair with both of your feet flat on the floor in front of you. The darbuka should sit on your non-dominant thigh with the open-ended side pointing behind you and the skin covered side pointing in front of you at a 45° angle.

You should then adjust your dominant leg so that the bottom part of the darbuka rim is supported by the inner thigh of your dominant leg to hold the drum in place. You should be able to let the darbuka rest without needing your hands to stop it from falling over. As such, your dominant foot might be slightly raised, whereas your non-dominant foot should be flat on the ground.

You should then lightly hug the body of the darbuka with your non-dominant arm to keep it steady while playing. Your non-dominant elbow should keep the darbuka tight against your side, and your non-dominant palm should rest on the top of the darbuka rim, without touching the skin.

Remember that anything that touches the skin will affect the resultant sound. If your non-dominant hand is resting on the plastic skin itself, the sound won’t resonate properly.

Position 2: Sitting on the floor #

Sit down on the floor in a cross-legged position. The darbuka should sit on your non-dominant thigh with the open-ended side pointing behind you and the skin covered side (the darbuka’s head) pointing in front of you at a 45° angle.

You should then lightly hug the body of the darbuka with your non-dominant elbow to keep it steady while playing. Your non-dominant palm should rest on the top of the darbuka rim.

The darbuka may fall inwards into the space between your crossed legs. This position is okay, as long as it doesn’t render the drum unplayable. If it is falling too far inwards, you might need to bring the darbuka back a little, so that it’s resting closer to your non-dominant thigh.

Playing while standing #

The only exception I’ve seen from the above methods is a performance technique of playing the darbuka while standing. Playing while standing is common if performing in an environment which requires you to move around, or perhaps if you were accompanying a dance or march. While it is possible to use a drum strap to secure the darbuka to your shoulder while you play, I would not recommend doing this until you are at least an intermediate player with strong foundations. You will have to dynamically adapt your playing style with the drum’s movement, which will be tough for a beginner. My advice would be to learn and practice while sitting on a chair or the floor. This will allow you to build your foundations in a strong position and help you progress through your darbuka studies. Once you’re confident and secured in your basics, grab a drum strap and give playing while standing a shot!

Space allows sound to travel #

When you choose where you will sit to play, practice or perform, you should consider how much space there is behind your darbuka. You need space behind your drum to allow the sound to travel, and you need to ensure that there aren’t any thick cloths or materials absorbing your darbuka’s sound. Assess your surroundings:

• Are you sitting on the floor in front of a sofa?
• Are you sitting on a chair with a thick curtain behind you?
• Are you sat on your bed reading this lesson on your laptop?!

All of these scenarios will kill any bass coming out of the back of your darbuka and will make your playing sound flat. This is a common problem that beginners face when practising. The location they have chosen to practice doesn’t facilitate sound to travel, and as such, their darbuka will sound bad even if they’re using the correct technique!

If in doubt, go to a location where you are confident there are optimal conditions for good sound to be created. A medium-sized room with wooden or tiled floors and mostly hard surfaces is ideal. Typically, in an ordinary house, most people find the best sound in their kitchen (if it’s big enough). Outside the house, a sports hall, performance hall or the like would be fantastic. If you’re not sure how good your darbuka is supposed to sound, find a good room and try it out! You might be surprised how different this space will sound compared to your bedroom!