Dumbek rhythms are a collection of rhythms that are usually played with hand drums such as the dumbek

Goblet drum

The goblet drum is a hand drum with a goblet shape used mostly in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe....

. These rhythms are various combinations of these three basic sounds:

• doum (D), produced with the dominant hand striking the sweet spot of the skin.
• tek (T), produced with the dominant hand striking the rim.
• ka (K), produced with the recessive hand striking the rim.

Notation

In a simple notation, these three sounds are represented by three letters: D, T, and K. When capitalized, the beat is emphasized, and when lower-case, it is played less emphatically. These basic sounds can be combined with other sounds:

• suk or slap (S), produced with the dominant hand. Similar to the doum except the fingers are cupped to capture the air, making a loud terminating sound. The hand remains on the drum head to prevent sustain.
• trill (l), produced by lightly tapping three fingers of one hand in rapid succession on the rim
• roll, rushes (r), produced by a rapid alternating pattern of teks and kas

This is the simple dumbek rhythm notation for the 2/4 rhythm known as ayyoub:


1-&-2-&-

D--kD--T

Rhythms

There are many traditional rhythms. Some are much more popular than others. The "big six" Middle Eastern rhythms are ayyoub, beledi

Beledi

Baladi is a rhythmic style common in Middle Eastern music, and the associated traditional dance raqs baladi.This is the most common rhythm among music used for oriental dancing, including Arabic pop and...

, chiftitelli, maqsoum

Maqsoum

Maqsoum is a derivative of beledi. The only difference is the accent on the second beat of maqsoum....

, masmoudi and saidi.

See also

• Iqa'
• Wazn
  Wazn
  Rhythm in Arabian music is analysed by means of rhythmic units called awzan and iqa'at.-Wazn and Iqa':A rhythmic pattern or cycle in Arabian music is called a "wazn" , literally a "measure", also called darb, mizan, and usul as is in Ottoman classical music)...
  
  
• Belly dance
  Belly dance
  Belly dance or Bellydance is a "Western"-coined name for a traditional "Middle Eastern" dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli...
  
  
• Arabic music
• Usul (music)