One of the most exciting sounds in The Frog Collection at The Music Class is the beat of the doumbek — a hand drum that’s as fun to play as it is to say!
The doumbek(also known as the darbuka) is a goblet-shaped drum from the Middle East and North Africa. The Music Class's song "Doumbek" highlights the sound of the doumbek along with zils, which are brass finger cymbals most frequently associated with belly dancing. Both are important instruments in Middle Eastern and specifically Egyptian music. Check out the incredible doumbek performance below!
What Makes the Doumbek So Cool?
The doumbek’s shape gives it a uniquely clear and crisp sound. Doumbek players use rapid finger strokes to produce incredibly complex rhythms. There are three signature sounds that doumbek players love to make:
Doum – a deep bass tone from hitting the center of the drum
Tek – a sharp, high-pitched pop near the edge
Pa – a muted, quiet tap used for rhythm control
In fact, the name doumbek likely comes from the words doum and tek — the two sounds at the heart of the beat!
Doumbek vs. Djembe — What's the Difference?
Goblet drums like the doumbek have been around for thousands of years. Cultures across the globe have embraced this shape of drum — narrow in the middle and wide at the ends — for its versatility and powerful sound. In many of our TMC Atlanta classes, you might spot Remo djembes, which are the goblet drum cousin to the doumbek!
Doumbek
Djembe
Origin
Middle East & North Africa
West Africa
Body Material
Ceramic or metal
Wood, often with decorative string
Size
Usually smaller
Often larger and wider
Head Material
Thinner, synthetic material or animal skin
Thicker goat skin
Sound
Sharp, crisp sound from finger taps
Deeper sound from palms & hand slaps
This video is a very fun demonstration of the different sounds and playing styles of the two goblet drums. It's a bit blurry for the first 20 seconds, but hang in there because it's worth it! (Or just skip to 0:24)
Why It Matters for Little Learners
Exploring instruments like the doumbek introduces children to diverse musical traditions and new sound textures. One of our main educational goals at The Music Class is to provide a large "musical vocabulary" within each session of classes, so that children are exposed to different meters, scales, styles, and genres. Just like children who grow up in multilingual households find it easy to communicate in different languages, introducing children to multiple musical "languages" when they are young makes it easy to understand and enjoy a wide variety of music!
