The Tek

The Tek is a high-pitched and sharp sound that is played on the rim of the darbuka head. The Tek is a core part of a darbuka rhythm. The differentiation between the Doum and the Tek allows rhythm to be created. The Tek is the second stroke we are learning with the dominant hand.

Technique #

To play the Tek, let two of your fingers (the two between your index and your little finger) hit the part of the darbuka skin that is closest to the rim with your dominant hand. The top part of each finger is the only part that should land on the darbuka. It is essential to ensure that the Tek is played on the skin, not on the metal/clay rim itself. It is equally important to ensure that the Tek is not played so far away from the rim (towards the middle of the skin) that it starts to resemble a Doum.

The differentiation between the Doum and the Tek #

The gradient between the Doum and the Tek is where the real magic in the darbuka lies. The Doum is deep and powerful, whereas the Tek is high pitched and sharp. Playing the darbuka with a wide gradient between the Doum and the Tek will create a strong rhythm. If your Doum and Tek sound very similar, you might have some issues.

Practice Tips #

The technique to use when practising the Tek is very similar to that when practising the Doum. Ensure to practice allowing yourself enough time to critique your Tek and give yourself constructive feedback. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• How well does the Tek ring?
• Are you hitting the same point each time on the skin?
• Is each Tek identical to the last?
• Are you engaging the correct parts of your finger? (see the photo above)
• Is your wrist doing most of the work and your arm staying still? Or are you correctly using a good combination of wrist and forearm?

Another great exercise is to alternate playing Doum and Tek strokes on each second. So every time a clock goes Tick, you play a Doum, and every time the clock goes Tock, you play a Tek.

Common Mistakes #

Let’s look at some of the most common mistakes that are made with the Tek. Overall the Tek is one of the easiest strokes to play on the darbuka so you shouldn’t have too much difficulty. However, it’s worth reading through the common mistakes and issues to see if there’s anything you’re doing wrong.

Weak overtones #

The overtone is the ringing sound that is created after the Tek has been played. Listen to any Arabic Music track featuring a darbuka, and you should instantly recognise the Tek from its bright overtones that create the signature darbuka sound. The overtones are essential to get right and can initially be challenging to control.

The trick to understanding and mastering overtones is to assess how quickly your fingers bounce away after they make contact with the drum. Typically, the faster they bounce away, the stronger the overtone that is created (the ringing sound).

To see the difference, play one Tek that bounces away quickly, and then one Tek that doesn’t bounce away, instead it should remain pressed to the skin. You should find that the Tek that bounces away creates a strong and clear overtone, whereas the Tek that remains pressed to the skin doesn’t create any overtone, and instead creates more of a pressing sound.

This exercise should demonstrate how overtones are created, but there is another element to consider; controlling the overtones based on the sound you are trying to create. Later on in this course, we will look at strong Teks that are part of the core rhythm (Iqa’), and weak Teks, which we use to make the rhythm sound better. Core Teks should have strong and clear overtones, and weak Teks should have weaker overtones. For this lesson, you should focus on getting the ring as strong and clear as possible, and create powerful overtones.

Playing too far in the middle #

A widespread issue with the Tek is using too much of your finger and as such, playing too far in the middle of the skin. An example of this might be using two parts of your finger rather than just one part. This creates a deeper and more bass-heavy sound, as you’re closer to the middle of the skin where the Doum is typically played. If you create this deeper and more bass-heavy sound, you will not be able to produce the correct overtones of the Tek. It is crucial to ensure that the right parts of your fingers are hitting the skin. See the photo above for a reminder on the correct parts of the finger to use.

Bad tuning #

Bad tuning can manifest itself clearly with the Tek, and it can get ugly. A poorly tuned darbuka might be able to produce a decent Doum, but the Tek can sound awful if the darbuka isn’t tuned well. For example, when the tuning is too tight, the Tek will sound choked. When the tuning is too loose, the Tek will sound like a church bell, rather than a Tek. The trick is to get a balance between the two. Read When to tune a darbuka for a good understanding of when to tune your darbuka.