rhythms annotations page -- contains a great deal of information about
some of these rhythms.
I notice there is a tendancy for beginning drummers to want to
quickly "collect" as many rhythms as they can. (Hey, I did it too.)
Let me point out that it is not the number of rhythms you can play,
it's more about being able to communicate clearly with the
vocabulary you have. Some of the "best" Middle Eastern drummers
usually play only a couple of rhythms. Most songs are to basic
rhythms of 2, 4, 6 or 8. The art of Middle Eastern drumming is in
doing the most with what you have -- playing perfectly and precisely
-- ornamenting the rhythm appropriately -- making all of the sounds
that your instrument can make pleasingly.
TODO: this page is not very well formatted yet and lacks
hotlinks between rhythms among other things
That said here is a "convenient" list of a few hundred rhythms and
variations.
`abwanii (6/8=2+4)
`alaajjii(tunisia) (6/8)
`aliilaawii(iraq) (10/8)
`allaajii (6/8=3+3)
see: mudawwar al-Hawzii(Algeria/Tunisia)
`allaawii(algeria) (2/4)
`araj al-batii' (3/4)
see: yuruk as-samaa`ii
`araj as-samaa`ii (3/4)
see: yuruk as-samaa`ii
`araj at-turkii (5/8=2+3)
`araj at-turkii (5/8)
[' Turkish late 19th c.']
`arda al-awwal(kuwait) (3/4)
`arda ath-thaanii(kuwait) (6/8)
`arwaasii ath-thaanii(libya) (8/16)
`arwasii al-awwal(libya) (4/8)
`athamaanii al-awwal(libya) (3/8)
`athamaanii ath-thaanii(libya) (6/8)
`awiis (11/8=3+4+4)
`awiis (11/4=3+4+4)
`awiis (11/4=3+3+5)
["Touma's version : rotated from others I've seen"]
a`araj al-kabiir (18/8=3+3+2+2+4+4)
a`araj samaa`ii (3/4)
see: daarij
aaghr aqsaaq samaa`ii (20/8=10+10)
aanadulus (7/8=4+3)
see: dawr al-hindii
abyaat(tunisia) (8/8)
adoni(yemen) (4/4)
afr mawlawii (9/4=4+2+3)
aghr aqsaaq turkii (5/4=4+1?)
aghr aqsaq (9/4=4+2+3)
aghr dawr hindii (7/4)
al fezzaanii ath-thaalath(libya/tunisia) (8/16=4+4)
al foks al-`arabii (2/8)
[' see also "vox"']
al jalwah(libya) (2/8)
see: al foks al-`arabii
al masa al-habiib(kuwait) (16/4=2+2+2+2+2+4+2)
al muthallath(iraq) (8/8)
see: jubii(Iraq)
amrii(libya) (14/8=4+4+3+3)
antikrysto zeymbekiko(greek - smyrni) (9/8=2+3+2+2)
aptaliko zeymbekiko(greek - attalia asia minor) (9/8=3+6)
aqsaaq (9/8=2+2+2+3)
['Turkish/Greek dance']
aqsaaq al-ifraanjii (9/8=4+2+3)
['Turkish origin']
aqsaaq araj (9/8)
[' Touma?']
aqsaaq at-turkii (5/4)
aqsaaq samaa`ii ath-thaqiil (20/8=10+10)
see: aaghr aqSaaq samaa`ii
aqsaaq(turkey/egypt) (9/8)
arb`a w' al-`ashriin halbii (24/4)
arb`a wal-`ishruun (48/4)
arwal (2/4)
see: baruel
assamaarii(libya) (4/4)
awfar (19/4=6+4+2+7=2+2+2+2+2+2+3+4)
see: awfar al-maSrii
awfar al-masrii (19/4=6+4+2+7=2+2+2+2+2+2+3+4)
awsat al-`arabii (13/8=2+4+2+5)
awsat al-maasuur (13/8=2+4+2+5)
see: awsaT al-`arabii
awsat at-turkii (13/4=3+2+1+3+4)
ayyuub(egypt) (4/8)
azdaad(libya) (5/8)
b'taa'ihii(algeria) (4/8)
bahrii sayafii (6/8=4+2)
bajja (3/8)
bajja(sudan) (4/8)
bajja(sudan) (3/4)
bakdaash haanah (14/4=3+4+3+4)
baladii (4/4)
baladii al-maqluub (4/4)
ballasiiq ash-shaamii (16/4)
ballos(greek - smyrni) (4/4)
see: syrto(Greek/Balkans)
bambii(egypt) (4/4)
[' modern dance rhythm (ala Hossam Ramzy)']
banchakiir (18/8=3+3+2+2+4+4)
see: a`araj al-kabiir
barifshaan at-turki (32/4)
baruel (2/4)
['"lively"']
barwal (4/8)
barwal (8/8)
bashraaf thaalath(libya) (10/4=3+3+2+2)
bashraaf thaanii(libya) (8/4=3+5)
bashraf(algeria) (4/4)
['nuba']
basiit(morocco) (12/8=4+4+4)
['nuba']
bataa'ihii(algeria) (4/8)
bayou(egypt) (2/4)
['rAqs sharqYY solo']
bolero (4/4)
btaa'ihii (8/4=2+3+2+1)
['Touma']
btaa'ihii (16/4)
btaa'ihii(morocco) (8/8=3+2+3)
btaa'ihii(tunisia) (8/8=3+2+3)
btaa'ihii(tunisia) (4/4)
buhalla(tunisia) (6/8)
bunawwaara(tunisia) (8/8)
bunawwarat`aqrabii(tunisia) (2/4)
buziiqa(tunisia) (2/4)
chaka (12/8=6+4+2)
see: shaakaa
chetvorno (7/8=3+2+2)
chochek (4/4=3+3+2)
see: cocek(Romany/Macedonia)
cocek(romany/macedonia) (4/4=3+3+2)
['should swing']
curcuna(armenia/turkey) (10/8)
see: jurjina(Eqypt/Afghani)
daarij (6/8)
daarij (3/4)
dahwah(iraq) (4/4)
dajchovo(balkans) (9/8=2+2+2+3)
[' (or 9/16)']
 
  
 
| ,[MIDI] | last tek is often syncopated |
daliib(sudan) (3/4)
daluuka(sudan) (3/4)
 
| ,[MIDI] | triplets empty in the middle? |
darb al-fatih (176/4)
[' "conquering rhythm"']
 
  
| ,[MIDI] | =4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4 |
darb al-wasta(yemen) (4/4)
darb as-sarii'(yemen) (4/4)
darij al-awwal(algeria) (8/16)
darij ath-thaanii(algeria) (4/4)
darij(tunisia) (6/4)
darij(tunisia) (24/4)
darj (4/4)
['Touma (perhaps flawed)']
darj (6/8)
['Souhail Kaspar']
darj(algeria) (6/8)
darj(morocco) (8/8=4+4)
 
| ,[MIDI] | second half varies in ornament |
das'a kabiir(yemen) (11/8)
das'a mutawassit?(yemen) (7/8)
['medium']
das'a saghiir(yemen) (7/8)
['fast']
dawaarii (10/8=4+6)
dawr al-hindii (7/8=3+4)
dawr al-hindii (7/8=4+3)
dawr al-kabiir halbii (28/4)
dawr al-kabiir turkii (28/4)
dawr halbii (12/4=4+4+2+2)
dawr rawaan halbii (13/4=3+4+4+2)
dawr rawaan mawlawii (14/8=3+4+3+4)
dawr rawaan sharqii (13/4=3+4+4+2)
dawr rawaan turkii (28/4)
dawr rawaan turkii awwal (13/4=3+2+4+4)
dawr rawaan turkii thaani (13/4=2.5+4+2+2.5+2)
dharaafaat(widespread arabic) (13/8=3+3+4+3)
see: Zaraafaat
djerbi(tunisia) (2/4)
see: baruel
dkhuul al-barwal(tunisia) (4/4)
duuyek (4/4)
faaht al-warash (10/4=2+4+4)
faakhitii (20/8)
['13th c. : SafI al-DIn; KitAb al-adwAr; also RisAla al-sharafiyya ']
faakhitii (28/8)
['RisAla al-sharafiyya ']
faakht (20/4)
faakht' al-`arabii (20/4)
faakht' at-turkii (20/4)
faarsii (5/4)
['?']
faarsiia(libya) (3/4)
['Persian origins']
fajjar (11/8=3+8)
fajjarii makhlaafii (6/8=3+3)
see: yuruuk samaa`ii
fakartii (15/4=4+2+3+3+3)
fakirah (15/8=3+3+2+2+5)
falaahii(egypt) (2/4)
fan bahrii(kuwait) (8/4=3+2+3)
fan hasaawii(kuwait) (4/8)
fan najaddii(kuwait) (6/4=3+3)
far`a (32/4)
far`a turkii(syria) (32/4)
see: far`a
farankchiin at-turkii(turkey/syria) (24/4)
fast waahida (4/4)
see: waaHida khafiif
fast wasta (4/4)
see: Darb as-sarii'(Yemen)
fezzaani al-baladii(tunisia) (4/4)
see: fezzaani al-beduui(Tunisia)
fezzaani al-beduui(tunisia) (4/4)
fezzaanii al-awwal(libya) (4/4)
['national rhythm of Tunisia?']
fezzaanii al-liibii(libya/tunisia) (4/4)
fezzaanii ath-thaanii(libya/tunisia) (8/8=4+4)
fezzaanii(tunisia) (4/4)
[' dance music']
first thaqiil (8/4)
['Safi-al-Din 13th c.']
gankino (11/8)
ghiita(tunisia) (6/8)
greek tsifteteli(greek) (4/4)
gubbaahii (2/4)
['sha`bI music']
gumbahii(algeria) (2/4)
see: gubbaahii
haawii (128/4)
  
| ,[MIDI] | =4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+2+4+4+6+4+4+4+4+4+4+2+2+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4 |
haddaadii(kuwait) (12/8=3+3+3+3)
haddaawii (12/8)
hafa(libya) (4/4)
hajj`a (2/4)
hajjaawii(libya) (4/4)
