DARBUKA

The darbuka is a one-skinned, hollow drum central to the musics of a nu mber of Middle Eastern cultures. It is normally held across the lap and played with the fingers of both hands - one from above and one from the side, much like the zarb or tempo. However, the darb uka is usually made of clay and painted, rather than carved, for decoration.

As with the zarb, the darbuka is often referred to as a "dumbek" (or "doumbec"), which derives from the two principal ton es that form the basis of the standard technique - one low (dum), the other high (bek). The name I use is derived from the same colloquialism; the 'proper' names for this type of drum are usually some variation on the generic tabla (which we use to refer to the pair of drums that are the major percussive engine of North Indian music - and which are called by still another name in India. It should be clear by this point that giving names to drums is a tricky business...) The darbuka has a much more limited tonal range than the zarb or the frame drum