The Ka

The Ka is the first stroke we will learn with the non-dominant hand, and this stroke is used primarily for ornamentation.

The Ka stroke is very similar to the Tek. Even though it is played with the left hand, there shouldn’t be any significant differences in the sound produced by the Ka and the Tek.

The Ka can be played much faster and more regularly than the Tek, as the Ka is played with the non-dominant hand, which plays relatively fewer strokes than the dominant hand.

Technique #

When setting up for the Ka, you should ensure that your non-dominant elbow is holding the darbuka in place appropriately so that your non-dominant arm is free to move.

The palm of the left hand should sit on the top of the darbuka rim. The Ka is played with your ring finger. To play the Ka, you should raise your wrist and swing it down, onto the part of the skin that is closest to the darbuka rim, hitting the skin at roughly a 45° angle. This produces a sharp and high-pitched sound.

Ornamentation #

The Ka is primarily used to add ornamentation to a rhythm. Ornamentation can transform a basic rhythm into a complex and unique rhythm that brings out the individual character of the drummer. Ornamentation is like a sweetener, through which a drummer can create a musical flavour that is unique to their playing style.

Practice Tips #

The Ka can mostly be practiced through applying it to a rhythm, just as we will do in the next lesson. As such, you don’t have to practice the Ka as extensively as you needed to practice the Doum and Tek, however, you should still get in a little practice moving around the drum and including the Ka. An excellent exercise to do is to sit in front of a clock and play a stroke on every second, in the following order:

Common Mistakes #

The Ka is a difficult stroke to play. Full stop. Beginners do tend to struggle for a while with playing the Ka correctly, but with proper practice, it will come. At this stage in your learning, I’d recommend trying to get as strong a sound as you can from the Ka, through whatever means. You can use more fingers if need be and even raise your hand a little more to create a stronger sound. However, you should always remember that the Ka is meant to be played with just the ring (fourth) finger, by itself. If you get used to playing the Ka with more than one finger, you will have to train yourself out of this habit later on in your learning, because more advanced techniques rely on the Ka being played with one finger only. Nevertheless, there are some issues you can watch out for:

Not playing at the top of the drum #

Playing at the top of the drum is essential to perform the Ka correctly. Your hand must land at the top of the drum, not on the sides of the drum. See the photo below for a demonstration of the common beginner mistake of not playing at the top of the drum.

Pointing the fingers straight down #

While the stroke is played right at the top of the drum, the fingers do not land in a position where they point straight down to the floor—instead, the fingers land pointing at an angle. I like to say that they are pointing towards the Tek when they land, which usually helps students visualise where the Ka should point when it lands. See the photo below for a demonstration.

Lack of wrist engagement #

Without engaging the wrist, the Ka becomes a challenging stroke to play. The Ka needs to use the power and “flick” generated by the wrist to make a powerful sound. Without this power, the Ka will tire your hands very quickly, and you’ll struggle to play at any speed. Ensure that the power of your Ka comes from the wrist, and not just the fingers. Look at the photo below and how large the gap is between my wrist and the drum. My wrist should be touching the drum, not 10cm away from it.