Darbuka

Origin: Middle East

The darbuka (known by a number of names such as dumbek, darabukka, derbocka, dumbelek, etc) is a goblet shaped hand drum used in Arabic, Persian, Balkan, Armenian, Azeri and Turkish music. Its thin, responsive drumhead and resonance help it produce a distinctively crisp sound. It is of ancient origin, and is believed by some to have been invented before the chair.

The darbuka has probably been a popular instrument in the Middle East for less than a century. Historic evidence such as artistic representations and accounts tend to favor the frame drum and riq/tamborine as the chief ensemble percussion instrument for much of recorded history in the Middle East.

It is found made from clay, wood or metal and comes in a number of sizes. All have a single head usually of goatskin, and are traditionally played under the arm. They have become very popular drums in World Music in the West second only to the djembe.
There are a wide variety of techniques used to play this drum, that are dependant on the material the drum is made from and the region it comes from.

There are two main types of goblet drums. The Egyptian style 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.