Messages

121

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: How many finger techniques are there?

« on: May 27, 2015, 03:03:22 PM »

 
Ya Saqeef, you might try to get a count with this video:

122

Darbuka Sound & Video Clips / An absolutely amazing solo…

« on: May 27, 2015, 02:46:44 PM »

Please share your favorites or your comments. 

123

Doumbek, Darbuka Lovers / Re: Do mother of pearl doumbeks sound better?

« on: May 27, 2015, 01:52:26 PM »

Really!? - I can't believe it.

If you were right, there should be a remarkable difference in sounds between these two samples:




Two drums with same size and shape and an identical skin too; same video set (have a look at the background) … and the same Bari not least …

It maybe within my equipment, but I won't hear it different.

124

Doumbek, Darbuka Lovers / Re: Do mother of pearl doumbeks sound better?

« on: May 26, 2015, 03:06:10 AM »

I'd say „maybe” on this topic. - Physically sound depends a lot of the inner surface, shape and material of the body, outside is right for show. ;-) Mother of pearl darbukas are much more expensive than simple ones on the other side. Musicians wouldn't buy such an instrument with bad sounds - it must be handcrafted with a lot of special know how and with care. That makes the difference…

125

Darbuka Sound & Video Clips / Re: Does house / club / pop music can be played with a darbuka drum?

« on: May 24, 2015, 06:56:26 AM »

It's so funny: 

126

Darbuka Sound & Video Clips / Re: Does house / club / pop music can be played with a darbuka drum?

« on: May 21, 2015, 09:57:36 AM »

127

Darbuka Sound & Video Clips / Re: Play darbuka without taking the medicine

« on: May 21, 2015, 09:31:56 AM »

 
… so what … belly dance …
 

128

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Why Darbuka is restricted to certain countries?

« on: May 21, 2015, 05:19:25 AM »

Me, I had no idea of a darbuka even in 2009, when we, my wife and me, first met an Arab country. But I alraedy liked its impressive sounds, what I already knowed from arab-turk-pop and some belly dance performances seen rather. I'd had no idea to see me drumming myself that time too. I started with congas only one year later and I had no focus on Arabic music at all but on hot Salsa sounds while dancing it.

An old Turkish man joined our group later saying that he was drumming whole his life but he felt a big lack never to get any musical education with. So he was a selfmade man at all and we all loved him, all of our group. But he stayed with us only a few months then saying he must stop with big drums for his wife and for his own health. Last I'd seen him he came with the darbuka and played a solo to say thank you.
That's first time I've seen a darbuka life and never I can forget that moment! - Thereafter I found a lot of Arabic influence in Latino music and then I decided to get my own darbuka too.

That's my story. I think there is still a gap between our cultures. Much of western people i.e. would think about playing a drum with sticks only. And there is some difference in musical structures like hatmonics and rhythmics too. So I think, it's normal if there is „only” a countable lot of darbuka players in western world…

129

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Practice makes perfect?

« on: May 17, 2015, 06:03:37 PM »

This advice is right, but don't think your progress should be same all the time. There are good days and bad days too.
Sometimes I get it in a minute, but mainly I'm trying for a long time and several times to get some stable new effect of it. It's very tricky… There is an eastern proverb saying that a master failed more times as an inexperienced tried it at all. This thing matters.  Further good luck!

130

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Does a positive or negative mood an issue with playing?

« on: May 17, 2015, 05:45:52 PM »

Hey, what do you think: music is for mood! - Why should it not effect your playing???!

131

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Why the darbuka hearting me so badly?

« on: May 17, 2015, 02:30:13 PM »

Hey, it's absolutely normal, that playing a hand-drum maybe a little painful in the beginning (same with guitar too...). Think - it's causing enormal stress on your fingertips! So what to do....?!

You may strengthen your fingers some times a day even by the way. Look to this video:



Mainly you only need a surface to hit it with your fingers. It doesn't matter wether it's a table or a book wich you may carry with you. Do it with ease and don't worry about speed: The easier it goes you may increase speed with no problem. So, whenever you have a break, you may training your fingers for a few minutes. That's first.

Next, stop drumming immediatly, when it starts hurting. Take a rest instead. - There are two kinds of pain, you should know: First is lokated in soft parts of your body. This pain is ok. You need to come closer with, it's lowering by time. But be aware, if the joints in your hand are hurting, the tendons too - that may cause serious injuries! It needs to correct your position fundamentally this case!!!

So, hopefully I might help you a little. Please tell something about your progress.

132

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: Ceramic Doumbek is better with Mylar heads or Goatskin?

« on: May 16, 2015, 04:58:37 AM »

I think, this topic is a very theoretical one. - I've never seen a ceramic Doumbek with a synthetic head yet and to do first steps I'd prefer a metal corpus with synthetic skin anyway...

But nevertheless, @hylian, real good information, thank you.

133

Darbuka Teachers & Lessons / Re: Need lessons for a darbuka!

« on: May 15, 2015, 12:59:40 PM »

Hi,
here is some sample, how to play your darbuka:



So doum, tek and slap it's same as the doumbek-style.
The ka is played with snaps. Here is a good instruction to learn this technique:

134

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: How to play triplets and rolls louder?

« on: May 10, 2015, 12:49:40 PM »

...you need to be relaxed when playing, don't tense your muscles!

Loona, that's right. I know the problem:

• A good drummer doesn't worry a lot about loudness of rolls. If you try to play roll strokes as strong as single strokes it will effect two nasty things to your playing:
  
  • Your timing will become not equal enough - the sound doesn't "roll". It's because you are actually playing a row of very fast single strokes instead...
  • Overall sound level seems to rise up virtually while hearing rolls due to a memory effect in our brains.
• With triplets: About timing is the same thing, but strokes are still considered as singles now: If you feel it usefull to hit harder for increasing those sounds your strokes simply are out of resonance. So you have to find right resonances first: Try to play as soft as you can, find those places on skin, where the sounds are "at home". Learn to hit these places proper and stable. Thereafter you may increase speed and modulate your sounds without additional force.

135

Doumbek Advice, Tips Questions & Lessons / Re: How many finger techniques are there?

« on: May 10, 2015, 09:58:35 AM »

Hi Alberto, I'm afraid there is no answer to your question...

Playing techniques actually depends of how your instrument is built, of your musical interests and of your personal abilities. The darbouka is a very various instrument, you may do with your fingers a lot on it, that's right. - Though it's really important to work out a solid base first. Here's something on basic strokes:
http://forum.arabinstruments.com/doumbek-advice-tips-questions-lessons/what-are-the-darbuka-tones/

Learn this and thereafter you will not be confused about various new techniques because you should know wich one may really fit your style!