Helpful tips on playing Darbuka-Doumbek for belly dancers. darbuka- The belly dance drum
1. Create a Rough Guide – Depending on the occasion, venue, culture, and overall situation, creating a mind map is an easy way to simplify presentation life. It’s like this; you are giving a concert in a turkish restaurant, you have to entertain for 15 minutes with only a drummer and a dancer. First you need to figure out how you want to get into space, that is, with a bang. Or maybe a simple piece of soft veil?
How long will it play the lead-in rhythm before moving on to the next main pattern? What is the audience’s favorite rhythm that night? I mentioned it was a Turkish restaurant so Kasilima comes to mind! When the lead drum solo is happening, can the dancer play zills to support you a bit? Could the audience applaud? On time!? How will it end? Perhaps with a fast 2/4 rhythm and a twist for the dancer followed by a final rizz (rush/roll) so that he can walk away!
Having a really open plan can help enhance the act so it looks more professional and has some lights to guide you from start to finish. There’s still plenty of room to improvise, but you’ve got a rough guide anyway.
At some concerts, especially restaurants and weddings, you never know what to expect. For this reason, you have to be flexible during the performance but still have a basic plan between the drummer and the dancer. It always gives you that advantage!
2. KISS the dancer! Not so my friends! Like this: keep it simple, stupid. It’s an old corny marketing saying that many of you have heard before, I’m sure. Well, if you want to be asked to perform with the dancer again (and I bet a million bucks the dancer booked the gig!), then the KISS formula will serve you well. Yes, you have thunder, and yes, you can beat Hossam Ramzy on a bad day, but the dancer doesn’t care about that at all. The dancer wants clear rhythm and drum fills. Less is more my friends. Also remember that a dancer (unlike us) needs to breathe. This can be difficult to do when there is no room in the music for a dancer to sit still for a moment and regain their composure.
3. Watch the dancer and NOT the floor: I am the first to be guilty of this criminal act. I once saw a video of me playing for a dancer on stage. In fact, we had worked out a few things that she would also dance during the drum solo and that meant I didn’t have to look at her at all! When I saw the video I shuddered. He seemed very uninterested in what was going on and I completely missed something the dancer was trying to do at the time! How can you play for a dancer and not see what’s going on? You just can’t! Remember, you are actually having a conversation and talking to her (or him). You’re saying, we’re here, I’ll do this for a bit and then I’ll play here for a while. This is the last one and then I’m going over there, do you know what I’m doing? That’s it, fantastic! Now let’s switch to this idea.
You are saying all this and much more, all with your eyes and your drum. It’s also worth knowing if all eyes are on the dancer or you! Remember: it’s a good idea when playing for belly dancers to see your drum as a Belly Dancing drum more than a darbuka!
4. Acquire a vocabulary: Knowing what to play for certain belly dance techniques is essential. To do this you will need many different shades up your sleeve. Being able to roll fast is great, but can you do that for your upper and lower body? Can you play a fast roll and then jump right back into the beat without missing a beat? Do you have a collection of puc or pop tones to use? Can you play a fast roll and then imply another rhythm with your right hand on top of this roll? Well, maybe that’s forgetting the KISS formula a bit, but it’s still great.
5. Repeat your ideas: One of the oldest tricks in the book is to repeat your ideas four times. These ideas can be developed each time, but essentially it is the same idea that is repeated. The room will usually have a small change to mark the end of one idea and then the next one begins. Playing this way will allow the dancer to hear what your idea is, create something, develop that “something” and then really put it together for the last two times you play.
6. Who invited Aladdin? Speaking as a drummer from the western world, we can sometimes overdo it in the dressing room. In my years of playing with musicians from the Middle East, the only people who go to their performances dressed as Aladdin are musicians from the West! If you go to a Lebanese wedding or a Turkish club and you see the musicians, they don’t really wear those things. Dressing like this is good for corporate concerts that have a theme party. Any other gig and you’ll look a little out of touch with reality in many people’s eyes. Smart looking pants, a neat black shirt and perhaps a patterned vest is much more appropriate. Ladies can usually wear more dazzling outfits without looking as silly as us gentlemen. Food for thought!
7. Every Dancer Is Unique: As you’ll soon notice, every dancer has their own unique style. This is something to keep in mind when playing together. What worked last night won’t necessarily work tonight. Some belly dancers are tiny and like to dance fast and jump to the nearest table! Others prefer solid rhythms so they can go through all the choreography they can possibly know. A dancer with a more voluptuous body may appreciate relaxed but interesting drum fills. It’s all part of being able to build a really comfortable relationship with each other and complement each other as a dancer and musician.
The next practical tips will be included in the second article on how to play for a belly dancer.The belly dance drum.’
Take care and happy drumming.