Darbuka Drum

Cheap Doumbek Darbuka Online

The doumbek, also known as the tabla, darbuka, derbekki, dumbek, among other names, is the classic goblet shaped drum that originated in the Middle East, namely Egypt, Turkey and Syria. It is often played with an ensemble that provides the music and rhythm for belly dancing. This fantastic drum can produce a myriad of sounds, and as one progresses in ability, more techniques and styles can be achieved.

I recently acquired the Alexandria Mother of Pearl Doumbek. This drum is from Egypt, and has beautiful patterns of real Mother of Pearl inlay that adorn the body of cast aluminum. It is very pleasing to the eye, and will certainly draw favorable attention from those who see it. It is a hand made instrument, so I was not surprised to see slight imperfections in the inlay, but nothing major, and the overall finish was quite acceptable. The real pleasure comes when I place the doumbek in the classic position along my lap and begin playing the Maksoum rhythm. The doums are solid and punchy, sustaining slightly. The teks and kas are very pleasing; sharp and ringing, as a real Egyptian metal doumbek should sound like. Soon I was playing along with my Faisal Zedan instructional DVD happily.

This Alexandria Mother of Pearl doumbek came equipped with the standard clear mylar head. While this type of head is fine, I wanted to try out the new Remo Skyndeep head that is being developed with Issam Houshan, the world famous Syrian percussionist that performs with the Bellydance Superstars around the world. He also collaborated with Sting on the Desert Rose album. The Skyndeep head from Remo is a revolution in synthetic head technology. It is the closest thing you will get to an actual fish skin, but with none of the head ache that comes with the real thing, which is its being affected by the weather/humidity. The synthetic Skyndeep is weather resistant and will maintain its tightness and pitch in humid conditions, unlike a fish skin head. The sound of these Skyndeep heads far surpasses that of the mylar. These new Skyndeep heads are being developed to fit Middle Eastern drums. So I now have this new Skyndeep head on the Alexandria doumbek. The drum sounds even better, warmer and fuller. The teks have a nicer ring, and the slaps are easier to achieve and more pleasing. I recommend that you swap out the mylar for one of these great new Remo Skyndeeps on your drum too. It will bring your doumbek back to life.

You can learn more and purchase this great doumbek by visiting:
http://darbukas.shishatobacco-online.com

 

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Darbuka Drum

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