The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; arz, دربوكة /

Romanized Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, an ...

: ) is a single-head

membranophone A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification. ...

with a

goblet A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. ...

-shaped body. It is most commonly used in the traditional music of

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medite ...

, where it is considered the

National symbol A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...

of Egyptian Shaabi Music. The instrument is also featured in traditional music from

West Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Anat ...

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, and

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, wh ...

. The African

djembe A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...

is also a goblet membranophone. This article focuses on the Middle Eastern and North African goblet drum.

History

The origin of the term ''Darbuka'' probably lies in the Arabic word "daraba" ("to strike"). Goblet drums have been around for thousands of years and were used in Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian cultures. They were also seen in

Babylonia Babylonia (; Akkadian: , ''māt Akkadī'') was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Syria). It emerged as an Amorite-ruled stat ...

and

Sumer Sumer () is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. It is one of the cradles of ...

from as early as 1100 BCE. On

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, large goblet drums are used as temple instruments and placed on the floor when played, which may reflect ancient use of the drum.Sadie, Stanley, (1980). "Darbuka". ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

''. Vol. 5. p. 239. .

Technique

Wooden Darabukkeh, Earthen Darabukkeh (Lane (1836), 2010, pp

The ''Eastern'' and ''North-African'' goblet drums are played under the arm or resting on the player's leg, with a much lighter touch and quite different strokes (sometimes including rolls or quick rhythms articulated with the fingertips) to hand drums such as the

, found in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali ...

. There are two main types of goblet drums. The Egyptian style, Darbuka, is also known as Tabla and is very popular; it has rounded edges around the head, whereas the Turkish style exposes the edge of the head. The exposed edge allows closer access to the head so finger-snapping techniques can be done, but the hard edge discourages the rapid rolls possible with the Egyptian style. The goblet drum may be played while held under one arm (usually the non-dominant arm) or by placing it sideways upon the lap (with the head towards the player's knees) while seated. Some drums are also made with strap mounts so the drum may be slung over the shoulder, to facilitate playing while standing or dancing. It produces a resonant, low-sustain sound while played lightly with the fingertips and palm. Some players move their fists in and out of the bell to alter the tone. Some players also place their hands on the surface of the drum to produce a muted sound. There are a variety of rhythms (see

dumbek rhythms Dumbek rhythms are a collection of rhythms that are usually played with hand drums such as the dumbek. These rhythms are various combinations of these three basic sounds: *Doom (D), produced with the dominant hand striking the sweet spot of the s ...

) that form the basis of the

folkloric Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fro ...

and modern music and dance styles of the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

. There are three main sounds produced by the goblet drum. The first is called a "doom". It is the deeper bass sound produced by striking the head near the center with the length of the fingers and palm and taking off the hand for an open sound. The second is called the "tak" and is the higher-pitched sound produced by hitting near the edge of the head with the fingertips. A "tak" struck with the secondary hand is also known as a "ka". The third is the closed sound "pa" (also called "sak"), for which the hand is briefly rested on the head so as not to permit an open sound. Additionally, there are more complex techniques including snaps, slaps, pops and rolls that are used to ornament the basic rhythm. Hand clapping and hitting the sides of the drum can be used in addition to drumhead sounds. Another technique commonly used in

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Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares l ...

and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

is to tap with the fingers of one hand and with a thin drum stick in the other. In

the stick is called the ''çubuk'', which means ''wand'', or stick, and where the Romanis there occasionally use this technique.

Use in Western classical music

The first known Western classical composition to feature a goblet drum is the opera '' Les Troyens'' (1856–1858) by the French composer

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

, which calls for a ''tarbuka'' in the Dance of the Nubian Slaves in Act IV. The first compositions for goblet drum and orchestra were composed by the

ian- American musician

Halim El-Dabh Halim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh ( ar, حليم عبد المسيح الضبع, ''Ḥalīm ʻAbd al-Masīḥ al-Ḍab''ʻ; March 4, 1921 – September 2, 2017) was an Egyptian-American composer, musician, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who had ...

in the 1950s; his ''Fantasia-Tahmeel'' for goblet drum and strings was premiered in

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in 1958, with a string orchestra conducted by

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appeara ...

Notable goblet drum musicians

* Setrak Sarkissian * Said El Artist * Hossam Ramzy *

Rony Barrak Rony Barrak is a Lebanese musician ( Darbouka player) and composer. Rony Barrak held his first Darbouka (Middle Eastern tabla) at the age of four and began playing it intuitively. Led by early self-confidence, he made his first TV performance a ...

* Carmine Guida * Djamchid Chemirani * Pettik Ádám * California Monster * Jad Hamawi * Bilal Göregen * Alberto Christodoulou

Gallery

File:Khmer drum 01.jpg, Cambodian '' skor daey'', also known as skor arak. This is the smaller of two Cambodian goblet drums, the other being called '' skor chhaiyam'' (Khmer: ស្គរឆៃយ៉ាំ). File:Darbouka égyptienne recadrée.jpg, Egyptian tabla and darabuka File:Tumbaknaer.jpg, Indian tumbaknaer File:Tombak Tonbak Persian percussion Instrument.jpg, Iranian/Persian tombak or zarb File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Enkelvellige bekertrom van aardewerk TMnr 3492-3.jpg, Libyan darbuka File:Darabuka2.jpg, Turkish drum File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Enkelvellige bekertrom van aardewerk TMnr 2439-34.jpg, Moroccan taarija File:Nimadoumbek.jpg, Man playing a doumbek File:TOYMBELEKI (Pottery drum).jpg, TOYMBELEKI Museum of Popular Instruments, Research Centre for Ethnomusicology. In Plaka, Athens, Greece.

References