Darabuka - the History of Percussion Instrument - Essay Example

DARABUKA by Student’s Name Code + Course Name Professor University City/State Date Darabuka Darabuka, also known as goblet drum is a percussion instrument from the Middle East. The instrument has a goblet shape. It is a single-headed ancient drum, which was originally played in Armenia, Turkey, and Egypt. It is used in music from Middle Eastern countries. The thin drumhead is responsive and with a resonance that helps it produce a distinctive crisp sound (Saddie 2000). The origin of the term Darabuka can be traced to the Arabic world “Darba” which means to strike. This instrument was originally used in Sumeria and Babylon thousands of years ago. However, there are debates that the instrument origin is in Europe and was brought to the Arabic world by nomadic Celtic tribes (Shem, 1987). It is considered one of the most important in the Middle East. The instrument has its roots in oriental music, which had distinctive rhythm. However, the instrument made its way into western music in later years. Authentic Darabukas are made of wood with goatskin that is stretched at the top using a piece of rope, nails, or leather thongs. Modern versions of the Darabukas are also made of copper or aluminium with synthetic fibres on the drumming surface. Traditional Darabukas were made of clay wood or metal. However, modern Darabukas are made of materials such as fibreglass and other synthetic materials. The structure of the Darabuka can be different depending on the origins and geographical locations (Saddie, 2000). Western pop and hip-hop music has influenced the culture of the music played in the Middle East, leading to changes in the shape and structure of the Darabuka to some extent. Nowadays, it has a modern look and a shiny. The single headed shape of the drum distinguishes it from other percussion instruments of its family. The instrument has a long history of being used in belly dancing songs, in the Middle East, giving it another dame; the belly dance drum. The first modern classical composition to use the Darabuka was the opera les Troyes that was composed by Frenchman Hector Berlioz (Sachs, 2006). This composition uses the Darabuka in Act 4, which is called the Dance of the Nubian Slaves. The first composition using the Darabuka in the orchestra was the Fantasia Tahmeel by Halim el Dabh in 1958. The Darabuka is played under the players arm or when resting on the leg of the player. There are lighter touches and different strokes than on the hand drums. The Egyptian style has some rounded edges around its head. On the other hand, the Turkish style exposes that hedge on its head. The exposed edge helps the player to have a closer access to the head of the drum so that finger-snapping techniques can be applied. The hard edge on the Turkish style discourages rapid rolls, which are possible with the Egyptian style (Saddie, 2000). The Darabuka may be played when held under one arm, especially the non-dominant arm, or by placing it on the sideways on the players lap, with the head placed towards his or her knee when seated. Some drums also have strap mounts, and can be slung over the shoulder of the player, to facilitate better playing of the instrument when dancing or standing (Remnant, 1999). The drum produces a low sustain and resonant sound when it is played lightly using the palm or the finger tips. Some players will move their fists inside and outside the bell to alter the tone. Several varieties of rhythm from this instrument form the basis of dance styles, folklore, and modern Middle East music. The drum produces three main sounds. The first sound us called the "Doum" this is a deep bass sound that is produced when the instrument is struck near its centre with the length of the palm and the fingers, then the player taking off the hand to create an open sound. The second sound produced by this instrument is called the "tek." It is a higher pitched sound that is produced when the player strikes near the edge of the head of the drum with the tips of their finger. When a "tek" is produced by striking with a secondary hand, it is referred to as a "ka." The third sound produced by this instrument is known as the "pa." This sound is produced when the hand of the player is rested rapidly on the head of the drum to avoid production of open sound. Complex techniques are also used with the instruments. These include the pops, snaps, rolls, and slaps. These are used for the purposes of ornamenting the basic rhythm. Clapping hands and striking the sides of the drum can also produce drumhead sounds. In countries such as turkey, Egypt and even Bulgaria, another technique that is used is tabooing with the fingers of one hand and hitting with a thick stick in the other. The Darabuka is a versatile percussion music instrument that provides a wide range of rhythm and tones depending on the styles, skills, and technique of the player. Due to its deep body, the Darabuka us well known for creating beautiful sounds that resonate. Larger Darabukas produce louder and deeper tones than smaller Darabukas. As the drummer gains experience, and becomes more versed with several aspects of the Darabuka, and its playing methods, he or she can make exploration of various configurations and discover several variations in percussive tones, musical styles and rhythm (Rault 2000). Darabuka is mainly used in Symphonic Aphorisms. A symphonic aphorism has more than three movements. These movements are use to express concise ideas, as used by Goethe. The first movement in the aphorism resembles a traditional funeral march. The Darabuka is normally used in symphonic aphorism to accompany the movements of the belly dancers. This makes it an important part of any orchestra in Arab music. There is a significant connection between the rest of the orchestra and the player of the Darabuka. There is a repetition of materials at the end of that movement as they call and respond to each other. This links the music to the general orchestration movement and the music of the traditional Tahmillas. The presence of the Darabuka is used to evoke a sound called Takt. This is the Arab orchestra that usually accompanies belly dancing. In the next movement, the orchestral introduction is expanded. Unlike classical composers, Arab Orchestra does not keep the development of sonata forms tidy before the introduction. It creates a creative flux. This includes a martial figure and Darabuka. These are first heard when the soloist is being announced. The Darabuka comes before the exposition and summary of the second subject. The soloist uses the martial figure to launch the actual development. This development is blended into the recapitulation, in an unmarked style (Blade, 1970). This is where the Darabuka carries the first subject into the stratum. The sixth movement comprises of rhapsodic variations Darabuka and the woodwinds. The initial variation ends in a dissonant episode. It is trailed by an angular phase that extends over the flute. This is used again towards the end. This creates an arch structure, which adds spice to the movement. In the middle, a new theme is heard, albeit tersely. A duet between the soloist and oboe appears again. This creates a delightful touch as the piece settles onto the final chord. In this final chord, the woodwind nudges the violin as the movement ends, which resembles a sonata. It starts with re-jigging of the second subject. After that, the soloist elaborates the first. A powerful orchestral statement of subject number one follows this. There are intermittent solo interjections (Cook 2006). These interjections prime the cadenza. This leads to the start of the violin. The Darabuka finds the orchestra coming in. It joins the coda, leading to a sudden suspension. The soloist makes another trial; however, the orchestra makes rude interruptions with a rhythm that matches. The piece is governed by high quality harmony and equilibrium in scale. This melody pours out in a divine and peaceful format, punctuated by the clean harmony of D major. The piece has a series of surprises, which leaves the sweetness of the piece untouched. As indicated before, the player opens the piece with four beats on the timpani. This makes it authentic. The Darabuka is also introduced on the tenth beat on a D sharp (Torvey 1992). This is an unexpected note, but it is resolved in a similar unusual manner using the Violin. This melody pours out in a divine and peaceful format. The piece has a series of surprises, which leaves the sweetness of the piece untouched. As indicated before, the player opens the piece with four beats on the Darabuka (Schick, 2006). This makes it authentic. The Darabuka is introduced again on the tenth beat. This is an unexpected note, but he resolves it in a similar unusual manner. In conclusion, Darabuka is one of the most important musical instruments in the Middle East. It belongs to the percussion division of musical instruments. Though it is a traditional Middle Eastern instruments, it use has extended to mainstream western music. The structure of the instrument varies according to geographical locations and type of music. Several modern songs have been played using the instrument. The most popular is the Fantasia Tahmeel by Halim el Dabh List of References Blade, J 1970, Percussion Instruments and their History, OUP, NY Cook, G 2006, Teaching Percussion, Thomson Schumer, London Rault, L 2000, Musical Instruments: A Worldwide Survey of Traditional Music-making, Thames & Hudson Ltd, London Remnant, M 1999, Musical Instruments: An Illustrated History from Antiquity to the Present, Rowman & Littlefield, Leeds Sachs, C 2006, The History of Musical Instruments, Dover Publications, Manchester Shem, S 1987, “Acoustics of Ancient Chinese Bells," Scientific American, vol. 256, no. 2, pp. 94 Schick, S 2006, The Percussionist's Art - Same Bed, Different Dreams, University of Rochester Press, Rochester Sadie, S 2000, "Darabukka" The New Grove Journal of Music and Musicians, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 239.  Tovey, D1992, Essays in Musical Analysis 1, Oxford University Press, London Read More