From: Jeff Senn To: med-dance@world.std.com Subject: MUS RE: Riqq/Rikk/Frame Drum Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 12:53:14 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) > X-23681-Poster: James Turner ... > My question for the list is this...Does anyone know of how to > incorporate the rythyms of the doumbek to the frame drum for dancing? ... > zella > somerville, nj The basis for Middle Eastern rhythms are all pretty much the same no matter which percussion instrument you are playing -- remember there is little polyrhythm in ME music, so the "down beats" all go in the same place. The down beat (DUM) on a Riq is usually played as an open sound by striking about half way to the center with the middle finger(s) of the dominant hand. The TEK on a riq is usually done by either striking near the edge with a finger or striking the whole head with fingers spread to get a closed sort of sound. The "jingles" (also TEK) are played by tapping them with the 3rd/4th fingers of the non-dominant hand and any of the fingers of the dominant hand. Generally you hold the riq so that one set of the jingles is between your hands -- and these are the ones that are primarily played. It should rest a bit leaning forward to quiet the zills. The whole instrument can be vibrated rotationally to get a "shake" of the zills. This is what I think of as the Egyptian method -- there are other methods in which you rock the riq back and forward so that it makes a sort of "shchik" sound with all of the zills at once. If you are playing the Riq alone in a percussion line (i.e. there are not other percussion instruments) then generally you would pretty much play the same rhythms that the dumbek part normally plays -- that is: the fills would be in the same place. Also you would tend to stress the "drum-ness" of the riq rather than its "zill-ness". Even if you are playing with other percussion you can still play that drum line -- but it is perhaps more advanced to fill in different places - and mix up the drum-ness and zill-ness of the instrument to provide depth(?) to the piece. This is hard to describe and I guess the best way to figure it out is just to listen to lots of ME music... Here's an example: Suppose we are playing maqsum: Maqsum: D-T---T-D---T--- The drum would tend to fill: Drum : D-TktkTkD---T-tk The riq would tend to fill: Drum : D-T---T-D-tkTktk Hope this helps, -Jas http://www.maya.com/local/senn/rhythm.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 08:59:41 -0500 Message-Id: <19980929.091213.3150.4.Mazika@juno.com> From: mazika@juno.com (Theresa A Souri) Subject: Re: MUS Riqq Frame Drum X-23755-Poster: mazika@juno.com (Theresa A Souri) X-23681-Poster: James Turner >>My question for the list is this...Does anyone know of how to incorporate the rythyms of the doumbek to the frame drum for dancing? And any suggestions for how to play and dance at the same time? (once I get the playing part down)<< First off, if I may, let me point out that in the original "takht"---traditional Mid East 'orchestra'---the tabla ( 'doumbek') is not used. Instead, the main percussion instrument used in a "takht" is the Riq ( tambourine ). It is difficult to discribe to you through this e-mail how to hold the Riq, you need to see for yourself someone holding it. However, I will try to explain ( I was trained back home how to play the Riq): you need to hold the Riq horizontally with both hands evenly at the botton of the Riq hooking both thumbs inside the frame. Then tilt the Riq slightly foreward. You then use your third finger ( i.e. the one next to the pinky ) of both hands to play the rhythm on the skin---I like Riqs that are made of fish skin, but I am digressing! Playing the Riq in this manner is mostly for the "sama'ii" rhythms. For the more dancing rhythms however, you have to hold the Riq in a different way: the Riq is held upright ( not tilted) with one hand the left, then rest your right hand thumb on the outside of the frame, the rythym(s) are then played with both hands combining the cymbols with the skin. Now to answer your question concerning dancing with the Riq: I do not know what type of dancing you have in mind, but if you are going to do Egyptian dance the Riq is never used to dance with. So, if you are planning on learning how to play for raqs sharqi do not use it for dancing then. Hope this helps a little. Mazika