Tabla

The tabla is one of the most important instruments to middle eastern dancing. It creates the deep, rich rythyms which our hips shimmy, thust, and twist to. It is the heart of the music. Understanding these rythyms and how they form our favorite songs is one of the keys to great dancing. When you undertand the basics of the rythyms you can better match all your movments to them. For your learning and enjoyment I have also included on this page a wonderful rythym generator from Kafif.com (Formerly Ghawazee.org) so you can hear the rythyms played out for you. The instructions are below the generator. I hope you enjoy the drumming.

The generator and rhythyms listed here are from a wonderful music site called Kafif.com which was formerly Ghawazee.org. The following rythyms are just a small sampling of the many Middle Eastern rythyms out there. I would recomend visiting their site and checking out other rythyms as well as the little tidbits about some of the rythyms. To go to their main page go to: http://www.khafif.com/khafif or to go directly to their page with all the rhythyms go to: http://www.khafif.com/rhy/rhylist.html. To hear the rhythyms bellow on the generator simply highlight the rhythym with your mouse and the push Ctrl+c to copy the rhythym and then click inside the rhythym line of the generator and push Ctrl+v to paste the rhythym or just type the rhythym into the generator. Press play and you should hear the rhythym played out. Have FUN!

Rhythm Key:

D - Dum (right hand clear low tone)

T - Tek (right hand high crisp tone)

G - Grab (or Stop -- deadened, usually right hand)

K - Ka (left hand, sounds like Tek)

P - Pop (Ka while deadening head w/ other hand)

S - Slap

m - Alternate "Dum" (left hand low tone often muffled)

* Use capitals for accented strikes

Sample Rhythyms:

Maqsuum 4/4

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|

D-T-__T-D-__T-__ basic form

D-T-kkT-D-kkT-kk filled

D-S-tkS-D-tkS-tk accented

Baladii 4/4

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|

D-D-__T-D-__T-__ basic form

D-D-tkT-D-tkT-tk filled

D-D-t-S-D-t-S-tk "Egyptian Classical"

Sayyidii 4/4

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|

D-T-__D-D-__T-__

D-T-tkD-D-tkT-tk

D-tk-kD-D-tkT-tk syncopated at the beginning

DkS-kkDDD-tkS-tk syncopated with 3 DUMs

WaaHida 4/4

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|

D---____D---m--- sayyaara (slow)

D---____T---k---

D---__T-____T--- saghiira

D-tktkT-tktkT-k- "tawil"

D-Tk-kT-Tk-kT-k- khafiif (fast)

Chiftitelli (shiftaatellii) 8/4

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+-|

D---__T---__T---D---D---T---____

D-tkt-T-tkD-T-tkD---D---Tktkt---

MaSmuudii 8/4

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+-|

D---D---____T---D---____T---T---

D---D---tktkT-tkD-tktkt-TktkT-tk

D---D---D---T---D---____T---T---

Falaahii 2/4

1-+-2-+-|

Dk-kD-k-

DtktDktk

DgkgDkgk

Ayyuub 2/4

1-+-2-+-|

D--kD-T-

D-kkD-S-

DktkDtkt

Bolero 4/4

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+-|

D---t3kkT---k---T---k---D---k---

D---k-k-T---k-k-T-k-T-k-D---T---

Zaffah 4/4 (or 8/4)

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|

D-tkt-t-D-t-t---

D-tkt-t-D-t-t-tt

D-tkt-t-D-t-D---

D-D-D-t-tktkt-t- Hossam Ramzy's "Big Zaffa"

WaaHida saghiira 4/4

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|

D---__T-____T---

Malfuuf 2/4=3+3+2

1-+-2-+-|

D--T--T-

DkkTkkTk

D-kT-kT-

Sa`udI 2/4=3+3+2

1-+-2-+-|

D--D--T-

D-kD-kTk

Karsilama 9/8=2+2+2+3

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-|

D-__T-__D-__T-T-T-

D-kkT-kkD-kkT-T-T-

D-tkT-tkD-tktkT-T-

More Rhythyms Listed at http://www.khafif.com/rhy/rhylist.html

Jas's -- MIDI Hand Drum Rhythm Generator