Darbuka Mastery

Darbuka Mastery · Level 1

Rhythm library

Every rhythm and drill from Level 1 in one place, playable at any tempo with an optional metronome.

How to read a tab: each numbered column is one beat, split into four. D is a Doum, T a Tek, k a Ka and t a light Tek. The filled notes are the rhythm’s points of emphasis — its iqa’ — and the outlined ones are ornaments. Lesson 5 explains it properly.

The sounds are synthesised in your browser. They’re a guide to timing, not a substitute for a real drum.

The Maqsum family

Four rhythms that share the same points of emphasis, each in its basic and ornamented form. Taught in Lesson 10.

Heavy Sa’idi 4/4
1
D D
2
D
3
D
4
T

Taught in Lesson 6: The Heavy Sa’idi

Heavy Sa’idi with basic ornaments 4/4
1
D D
2
k D
3
D k
4
T t k

Taught in Lesson 8: Basic Ornamentation

Maqsum 4/4
1
D T
2
T
3
D
4
T

Taught in Lesson 10: The Maqsum Family

Maqsum with basic ornaments 4/4
1
D T
2
k T
3
D k
4
T t k

Taught in Lesson 10: The Maqsum Family

Baladi 4/4
1
D D
2
T
3
D
4
T

Taught in Lesson 10: The Maqsum Family

Baladi with basic ornaments 4/4
1
D D
2
k T
3
D k
4
T t k

Taught in Lesson 10: The Maqsum Family

Sa’idi 4/4
1
D T
2
D
3
D
4
T

Taught in Lesson 10: The Maqsum Family

Sa’idi with basic ornaments 4/4
1
D T
2
k D
3
D k
4
T t k

Taught in Lesson 10: The Maqsum Family

Building up the ornaments

The step-by-step progressions from Lesson 6 and Lesson 8.

Heavy Sa’idi (X means space) 4/4
1
D D
2
× D
3
D ×
4
T ×

Taught in Lesson 6: The Heavy Sa’idi

Heavy Sa’idi with basic ornaments — progression 1 4/4
1
D D
2
D
3
D k
4
T

Taught in Lesson 8: Basic Ornamentation

Heavy Sa’idi with basic ornaments — progression 2 4/4
1
D D
2
k D
3
D k
4
T

Taught in Lesson 8: Basic Ornamentation

Teka practice 1 beat
1
D t k

Taught in Lesson 8: Basic Ornamentation

Heavy Sa’idi practice piece 4/4
1
D D
2
k D
3
D k
4
T t k
5
D D
6
k D
7
D k
8
T t k
9
D D
10
k D
11
D k
12
T t k
13
D D
14
k D
15
D k
16
T

Taught in Lesson 8: Basic Ornamentation

Switching drills

From Lesson 11. Start at 80 BPM with the metronome on, and only speed up when every switch is clean.

Heavy Sa’idi — basic to ornamented switch 4/4
1
D D
2
D
3
D
4
T
5
D D
6
k D
7
D k
8
T t k

Taught in Lesson 11: Jumping Between Rhythms

Maqsum — basic to ornamented switch 4/4
1
D T
2
T
3
D
4
T
5
D T
6
k T
7
D k
8
T t k

Taught in Lesson 11: Jumping Between Rhythms

Baladi — basic to ornamented switch 4/4
1
D D
2
T
3
D
4
T
5
D D
6
k T
7
D k
8
T t k

Taught in Lesson 11: Jumping Between Rhythms

Sa’idi — basic to ornamented switch 4/4
1
D T
2
D
3
D
4
T
5
D T
6
k D
7
D k
8
T t k

Taught in Lesson 11: Jumping Between Rhythms

Sa’idi with an ornamented fourth bar 4/4
1
D T
2
D
3
D
4
T
5
D T
6
D
7
D
8
T
9
D T
10
D
11
D
12
T
13
D T
14
k D
15
D k
16
T t k

Taught in Lesson 11: Jumping Between Rhythms

Heavy Sa’idi to ornamented Maqsum switch 4/4
1
D D
2
D
3
D
4
T
5
D T
6
k T
7
D k
8
T t k

Taught in Lesson 11: Jumping Between Rhythms

Ornamented Baladi to ornamented Sa’idi switch 4/4
1
D D
2
k T
3
D k
4
T t k
5
D T
6
k D
7
D k
8
T t k

Taught in Lesson 11: Jumping Between Rhythms