How to Play the Dumbek

Posted on May 26th, 2009 by Marck

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The dumbek, or the goblet drum, is a very popular musical instrument played and shared by different cultures and peoples all over the world. Like many percussion instruments, playing a goblet drum is intuitive, but it takes a lot of practice and skill to get your rhythm going. Here are some tips on how to play a goblet drum.

Goblet Drums Around the World

Goblet drums are simple instruments that can make a variety of sounds because of the way they’re designed and built. All goblet drums are shaped like hollow cones; the middle part of the cone produces low bass sounds, while the parts near the rim of the drum produces high-pitched sounds. The key to playing a dumbek is to maximize the range of sounds that can be made with the drum.

The most popular kind of goblet drum in the world is the djembe of West Africa. Most goblet drums are made and played in cultures with a distinct African, Asian, or Middle Eastern influence. Goblet drums all over the world differ in sound, although they are played in pretty much the same way:

Azerbaijan: dumbul
Bosnia: tarambuka
Egypt: tablah
Greece: toumberleki
Iran: tonbak
Israel: darbukah
Romania: tarabana
Thailand: klong yao

Dumbek Rhythms

To play the dumbek, you need to have a good sense of rhythm, beat, and timing. Here are some tips and concepts you need to keep in mind when practicing with the instrument:

Basic Sounds

There are three basic sounds in dumbek rhythms:

Doum is a note where your stronger hand strikes the center of the drum to give a low bass sound.
Tek is a note where your stronger hand strikes the area near the rim to give a sharp high note.
Ka is a note where your weaker hand strikes the area near the rim for a soft treble sound.

Patterns

Doum, tek, and ka are combined together to form a rhythm for goblet drum routines. A pattern based on a beat is used for a dumbek, which is similar to drums and other percussion instruments. Some of the patterns used for goblet drums include:

Rolls, where the tek and ka sounds are repeated rapidly over a few beats or lines.
Slaps, where the stronger hand is cupped to create a doum sound, but without sustain and reverberation.
Trills, where three fingers of either hand tap the rim of the drum.

A good dumbek routine is accomplished when you combine basic sounds and patterns together. While there are certain routines and pieces that require a particular set of tones and beats, the best way to enjoy playing goblet drums would be to improvise your own pieces.

The goblet drum is a truly global musical instrument. With these tips, you can have fun playing the dumbek for friends, family, or even an audience.