Messages

121

Doumbek, Darbuka Lovers / Re: Drum lover's video album

« on: February 03, 2016, 04:54:23 AM »

Middle-Eastern hand drum video album. (http://iqaat.com/v-web/gallery/album05)

That link doesn't work... 

122

Buy & Sell Darbuka / Re: Need Alexandria!

« on: February 03, 2016, 04:50:11 AM »

Sorry Arab Instruments Shop doesn't offer any Alexandria Doumbeks. - Look Bavly Music or Music Outfitters instead!
(I found it via Google).

...or try it on eBay

Good luck!

123

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Copper or aluminium darbuka?

« on: January 28, 2016, 08:32:38 PM »

…
This is how the copper darbuka sounds:



And this is how the aluminium one sounds:



…

Thank you, those sound samples are great. - But pay attention:
The aluminium darbuka (Meinl HE-114 8" x 14 1/2") comes with synthetic head - the other one, made of (Meinl HE-205 7 7/8" x 15 1/2"), is with goat skin.

That makes a difference too.

124

Doumbek, Darbuka Lovers / Re: Looking for Good Doumbek to use easily!!!

« on: January 28, 2016, 07:42:14 PM »

For anyone that could be a new comers to such type of drum, your physique is typically produced with ceramic pottery, machined lightweight aluminum, or possibly birdwatcher.

Hi, I thought, a bird watcher is a man watching birds!?! - Here it looks like to be some material of drum shell, isn't it?

Can someone explain it to me, what does that "birdwatcher" actually means???! - Maybe some translation via Google into English - than post the original term please?!
Thx!

125

Doumbek, Darbuka Lovers / Re: KIRMIZIGUL DARBUKAS (HAND MADE TURKISH DARBUKAS)

« on: January 28, 2016, 07:35:53 PM »

… but it really turned to become alloy along with birdwatcher.
… tend to be stitched on the birdwatcher along with alloy darbukas
…

Hi, I thought, a bird watcher is a man watching birds!?! - Here it looks like to be some type of alloy, isn't it?

Can someone explain it to me, what does that "birdwatcher" actually means???! - Maybe some translation via Google into English - than post the original term please?!
Thx!

126

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Old Darbuka Polish

« on: January 26, 2016, 02:35:48 PM »

P.S.
There is another interesting idea to clean up aluminium (kitchen utilities):
Use tomato ketchup instead the tooth paste. - It should be less abrasive but, be careful, surely it's more acidic.
(source: cleanipedia: Aluminium polieren und reinigen)

I'd try it with dried concentrated tomato paste only, wich you can buy in tubes.

Do the same washing, drying and conserving procedures thereafter - but I don't know, does it really make sense or not…

127

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Old Darbuka Polish

« on: January 26, 2016, 01:13:55 PM »

At the end, wash it up with a lot of warm water and some drops of dish soap within.
Use a hairdryer thereafter.

For finishing I’d use WD-40 spraying it overall the whole shell:
WD-40 liquid was developed for cleaning and protecting of various surfaces in space units. - There’s a lot of aluminium and its alloys in those technical equipment and further with high standards of physical and chemical stability and durability.

The WD-40 will form a film and displace the moisture on the metal surface, even in micro cracks too.

Personally me I put WD-40 on my Turkish beauty (at my avatar the left one). But I sprayed it on the outer surface only to prevent oxidation of the bright parts:
Because aluminium oxide is much harder then poor aluminium, I hope for better sounds by time with a lot of new patina inside the drum.

You already have an old drum, so you may don't touch the inner side, I'd recommend you. - And please tell us, what did you do and what is the result of your work!
Good luck!

128

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Old Darbuka Polish

« on: January 26, 2016, 01:09:28 PM »

Let me tell about my grandma:
She sweared to know the best way for cleansing up our table silver - using some common tooth paste and a soft flannel cloth to polish it with smooth circular motions. - I’ve seen it with my own eyes: It really works with silver to get it bright and shiny.
Some of its patina remains in the deep of relief what improves appearance of surface ornaments. The only thing: Silver is a hard metal against aluminium is very soft…
( cleanipedia: What Products Can I Use When Cleaning Silver?)

So what, we use the paste to clean, whiten and polish our teeth – and to avoid acidic reactions, what may harm its enamel.
Though, if I had the problem with an old aluminium shell to clean, I would try that method of my grandma first and - of course – beginning somewhere on a little spot at the edge of the lower part of the body. You can see then, whether it works, what happens with metal surface and how do you like the finish – and if “yes”, go so on. - And you may proof several products and take your best choice.
Use tooth paste without additional water – as dry as possible - that prevents ingress of water into said micro cracks. The cloth you need should be very soft: I’d do it with chamois leather. For heavily soiled spots I’d try it very gently with a Scotch Brite or at least with some of that kind of cotton cloth used for body peeling in Hamam …

Remark:
All these tips are not approved, so you shall do it on your own risk.

129

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Old Darbuka Polish

« on: January 26, 2016, 12:29:32 PM »

However, I’m afraid, you’re a self-made man, so what can we do with an old aluminium shell like this!?:
(c) ebay

The reason for the matt dull gray covering the body of the drum is in oxidation of metal surface on the air over years.

Actually it’s very easy to remove aluminium-oxide with abrasives or acid liquid, but we would ultimately scratch the soft metal surface - and when the liquid gets inside of some micro cracks – and I’m sure, that they are - drum shell won’t sound any more and you can say “Good bye!” and waste it - or put flowers inside… …you understand!

130

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Old Darbuka Polish

« on: January 26, 2016, 10:18:21 AM »

Hi,
it’s a pity, there’s no photo, no further description of your best piece.

A lot depends of which materials you need to clean up; are surfaces regular or plane or with relief (hammered) etc.

Here’s a website with a little overview, what’s the diversity of “Syrian Darbuka”:
Alat Musik Gambus

So I may guess only, what your little problem looks like:



These two pics are taken from the website:
THE DRUM DOCTOR

It already might be an good answer to your question, isn’t it!?

131

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Turkish split fingers – from the beginners to advanced

« on: January 26, 2016, 08:46:36 AM »

… to be continued …
 

132

Darbuka Sound & Video Clips / Re: Split Finger Technique Clips.

« on: January 26, 2016, 08:04:08 AM »

...and Zoba,
please take care! - There are some kinds of those rolls you've requested:

• You may hit with index (or the ring) finger of both hands first, then same with ring (index) fingers:
  t4-k4-t2-k2-t4-k4-t2-k2-t4-k4-t2-k2-|… or
  t2-k2-t4-k4-t2-k2-t4-k4-t2-k2-t4-k4-|…
  
  It's actually a simple hand-to-hand roll, like this:
  t3-k2-t3-k2-t3-k2-t3-k2-t3-k2-t3-k2-|…
  The effect of the split technique is that additional wiping of hands is loosening your wrists and give the fingers more way. - The roll should become a little faster and louder that way.
• A double stroke roll like this:
  T4-t2-K4-k2-T4-t2-K4-k2-T4-t2-K4-k2-|… or
  T2-t4-K2-k4-T2-t4-K2-k4-T2-t4-K2-k4-|…
  
  The clue of this is:
  One hands stroke is with one finger first, coming strong out of the wrist, with the second stroke automatically following after first as a counterpart.
  By the way - with higher speed the pattern may change to something like this:
  T4-K4t2-k2--T4-K4t2-k2--T4-K4t2-k2--|… i.e.
• Last but not least a combination of both - a tricky "wind-wheeling" roll:
  t4-t2-k2-k4-t4-t2-k2-k4-t4-t2-k2-k4-|… or
  t4-k4-k2-t2-t4-k4-k2-t2-t4-k4-k2-t2-|… or
  t2-t4-k4-k2-t2-t4-k4-k2-t2-t4-k4-k2-|… or
  t2-k2-k4-t4-t2-k2-k4-t4-t2-k2-k4-t4-|…
  
  Therefore I must remark myself:
  I've never seen a demonstration of this pattern on darbouka yet. - But there are similar rolls with floating hands technique on congas, what I know.
  So this part stays a highly experimental idea only.

• t - "Tek" (open tone with strong hand on the edge of the drum)
• k - "Ka" (same with weak hand)
• t2 resp. k4 - mark the used fingers - counted like in Persian Snap Technique (Pelang): 1 - small finger; 2 - ring finger; 3 - middle finger; 4 - index finger

You should practise it's all to feel the difference in speed and articulation of the sounds caused by different hand sets.
So you may have fun with it for a long time…!!!
 

133

Darbuka Sound & Video Clips / Re: Split Finger Technique Clips.

« on: January 26, 2016, 06:05:46 AM »

Hi Dear,
don't know what does your "urgent" mean in context. - Whether it is that:
"Oh my God, next month we have my sisters wedding party and I must play something!?!"
so sorry, we are too late! ;-)
(…and sorry again, i'm just back from holidays to give you a proper answer…)

It keeps 1-3 month of training to get stable sounds with split fingers and another 1-3 month to speed it up.

To find an answer I've now looked through all related clips I collected via youtube and then created a new playlist with a lot of stuff for intermediate players, what hopefully may fit your wishes. More instructive videos goes first and there is a lot of demonstrations and additional stuff at the end.
Enjoy:

Darbouka - Split Hand - Intermediate Level

Please take notice: Your question gave me fresh inspiration to write in
a new Topic: Turkish split fingers – from the beginners to advanced

134

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Turkish split fingers – from the beginners to advanced

« on: January 24, 2016, 01:03:38 PM »

So, you have learned it and practised it for a time… You now are common with the new playing technique and feel soon to become righteous an intermediate drummer – but: Stop it! – It’s only on your mind how you’re good: Record something you’re playing and start to hear yourself: Your strokes are somewhat weak and the patterns mostly out of time!!! – Welcome to the bloody loser level! ;-)

That may last for a long time, frustrating - and a really lot of beginners refuse on this step.
Hear those samples of some young men - low skilled, but highly motivated:





So please, don’t worry: It’s an absolutely normal state of your progress. Don’t stop and go on!!!

The reason of the affection is, that your mind may recognize all that stuff first. You literally learned it, there are no more secrets – but your skills are still limping, because they are on your mind only, but have to be unconscious! It takes a lot of time of practising until your fingers find it’s places itself… - Some hint, how to come over that status faster:
Try to practise the needed techniques and patterns by the way. - Knock the table while you’re watching TV; do it with your knees under the table in bureau at the working time; at urban transport regarding daily newspaper or looking what’s the people around etc. Let it your fingers do, only… – All you need are new reflexes, that’s all!
Good luck!

135

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Turkish split fingers – from the beginners to advanced

« on: January 24, 2016, 12:25:50 PM »

The Turkish split fingers technique maybe highly requested in between beginning darbouka players, when they feel to become intermediate.
So let us look some videos on this topic – and let’s have a look, how advance of skills may progress.

For the beginners first it’s needed to explain, what the idea of this method is.

Here’s the best explanation you can find in web:

(C) Karol Wilkoszewski