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)
