Darbuka Virtual

DarbukahasahistorythatgoesallthewaybacktotheCommonErainEgyptandcomesindifferentshapesandsizes.ItisalsoverycommoninAnatolia,Mesopotamia,ArabiccountriesandNorthAfrica.ItiswidelyplayedinTurkishFolkMusicamongstotherinstrumentsorsoloandhasalsocometoknownasanimportantinstrumentintheTurkishclassicalmusiclately.Thisjoyfulinstrumenthasdifferentnamesindifferentregionssuchas“dümbek,”“dümbelek”,“tömbek”butitsoriginalname“dümbelek”isactuallyanArabicnamewhichoriginallymeans“tostrike”.

Darbukaisapercussioninstrumentthathasagobletshape.Itnarrowsinthemiddleandwidensbackattheotherend.Theheadoftheinstrumentiswiderthantheotherend.Thetraditionaldarbukashavesheep,goatandfishskinforthegoodqualitysoundalthoughcontemporaryoneshavechemicalskincalled“glassskin”.Thispreventsthedarbukafrompoppingortearingsothatithasalongerlife.Thebodyofthetraditionaldarbukasusedbemadeofwroughtcopperbutnowadays,castingtechniqueisusedforabettersound.Nacrecoatingcanbeusedforornamentationonsometypes.

Darbukaisplayedwhileseatedorwithstrapsstandingup.Itissituatedundertheplayersarmwiththeheadoftheinstrumentpointedattheknees.Itcanalsobeplayedstandingupinordertoallowtheplayertodanceorwalkaroundwhileplaying.Theplayercanplayitsimplybyusinghis/herhands.Althoughithasdifferentstylesandrhythmstoit,itisfairlyeasytoplayit.Thankstoitsplayfulsound,itiswidelyusedattheweddingsorforentertainmentpurposes.