Iqa'at
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Membranophone · Egypt

Riq

A small frame drum with pairs of jingles. Considered the most difficult and expressive Arabic percussion instrument.

Curriculum
3 chapters

Work through them in order. Each chapter ends with something to loop in the trainer.

01
Grip and posture
The thumb pocket and how to keep the jingles under control.
8 min
  1. 1Thumb goes into the small hole on the frame, drum vertical.
  2. 2Ring and pinky rest on the back for balance.
  3. 3The wrist is loose — the jingles respond to tiny movements.
02
Dum, Tak, and Kah
Three core sounds and the wrist motions that produce them.
14 min
  1. 1Dum: middle finger of the right hand strikes near the frame.
  2. 2Tak: ring finger snaps the edge.
  3. 3Kah: shake the jingles alone by rotating the wrist.
03
Cabaret style
The showy riq style with drum held high.
12 min
  1. 1Hold the drum at eye level, angled outward.
  2. 2Alternate right/left hand strikes on the edge.
  3. 3Add shakes on rests to fill Maqsum ornamentally.

Keep exploring

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Darbuka
Goblet drum, the backbone of most Arabic rhythm sections.
Membranophone
Cajón
Box drum increasingly used in modern Arabic fusion.
Membranophone
Def
Large frame drum with a deep, resonant voice.