Middle Eastern Dance
Student Resources: Tips and Rhythms for Zill Practice
 

Student Resources: Tips and Rhythms for Zill Practice: Tips for Zilling:

- Buy zills with two slots for the finger elastics (as opposed to one hole), as they are easier to control.

- Position the zills and your fingers so that you are striking the outer edge of your thumb zill with the inside of your middle finger zill. After the strike, pull your middle finger back quickly (as though touching a hot iron) to create a nice ringing tone. If you get the sound right before you try playing patterns, you will be more likely to practice. Clacking and clanking will drive you and everyone else in your vicinity crazy!

- When you practice zilling, hold your arms and hands in a lovely dance position (as opposed to the "puppy paws" position). When you can zill easily in some of the basic arm positions, try moving slowly between arm positions as you play.

- Choose a dance movement that is thoroughly familiar and comfortable for you and pair it with your zill practice - for example, a Basic Egyptian step (step-hip lift). Even just walking is preferable to standing still. Don't forget your arm positions!

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Student Resources: Tips and Rhythms for Zill Practice: Key for zill Patterns and Rhythms:

Each rhythm is written in four different ways:
   A word phrase (“I can zill”);
   Numbers (1 and 2);
   Hands (Right and Left);
   Standard drumming patterns (“Dum”, “Tek”, and “ka”).
Choose whichever one makes the most sense to you.
“Right” and “Left” zill strikes are just suggestions – try different combinations to see what feels right to you.
Phrases in parentheses are optional “bridges” into the next measure.

 “-” = slight hesitation
“*” = pause
 “Yeah” = 1 strike (either L or R)
“Oh yeah” = 2 strikes (RL, LR, RR,or LL)
“I can zill” = 3 strikes (RLR, LRL, or any other combination)
“I can really zill” = 5 strikes (RLRLR or LRLRL)
“I can really really zill” = 7 strikes (RLRLRLR or LRLRLRL)

D = “Dum”
T = “Tek”
k = “ka”

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Student Resources: Tips and Rhythms for Zill Practice:  Practice Combinations (good finger warm-ups):

I can zill * I can zill * I can zill * I can zill 
    1 2 1    *    1 2 1    *     1 2 1    *    1 2 1
     RLR    *     RLR    *      RLR    *     RLR   
     TkT     *      TkT     *      TkT     *     TkT     

I can zill  I can zill  I can zill  I can zill
    1 2 1        1 2 1         1 2 1        1 2 1 
    RLR         RLR           RLR         RLR 
     TkT          TkT            TkT          TkT

 I can zill  *  I can zill  *  I can zill  I can zill  I can zill
     1 2 1     *     1 2 1     *     1 2 1         1 2 1         1 2 1
     RLR      *     RLR      *      RLR          RLR          RLR
     TkT       *     TkT       *       TkT           TkT           TkT

I can zill   I can zill  *  I can really zill
    1 2 1         1 2 1      *      1 2 1 2 1
     RLR         RLR       *      R L R L R
     TkT           TkT       *       T k T k T

I can zill   I can zill    I can really really zill
    1 2 1          1 2 1            1 2 1 2 1 2 1
    R L R         R L R          R L R L R L R
    T k T          T k T             T k T k T k T

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Student Resources: Tips and Rhythms for Zill Practice: Basic Rhythms:

Maqsoum
Masmoudi Saghir
Masmoudi Kebir
Malfouf
Saidi
Ayoub
Ciftetelli
Karsilimar


Maqsoum
This quick, nimble rhythm is widely used in Middle Eastern music pop, folk, and dance songs.

 Basic Maqsoum: (4/4)
Oh  yeah  -   I   can zill
  1     1      -   2     1     2
  R     R      -   L    R     L
  D     T     -   T     D    T

 Walking Maqsoum: (4/4) Named for its even stride.
Yeah  -  I  -  can -  zill  -   I   -  can - zill   ( - oh yeah)
    1     -  1  -   2    -   1    -  1   -    2    -   1       ( - 1  2  )
    R    -  R  -   L    -   R   -  R   -    L    -  R       ( - R  L )
    D    -  T  -   k    -    T   -  D   -    k    -  T        ( - T k  )

Maqsoum variation: (4/4)
Yeah -  I can really zill   -  yeah  -  I can zill    (yeah)
    1    -       1 2 1 2 1         -     1      -    1 2 1           ( 1 )
    R    -      R L R L R        -     R     -     R L R         ( R )
    D   -       T k T k T         -      D     -     T k T          ( T )

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Masmoudi Saghir
The “Little Masmoudi” is very much like the Maqsoum, except that it begins with two “Doums” and is played more slowly. In the US it is often called “Beledi” or “Baladi”, which means “folk” or “of the country”.

 Basic Masmoudi Zaghir: (8/4)
Oh - yeah *   I   can - zill   (yeah)
 1    -   1    *   2     1   - 2         (2)
 R   -   R    *   L     R  -  L         (L)
 D   -   D    *  T     D   - T         (T)

Masmoudi variation: (8/4)
Oh  yeah  -  I can zill   yeah  -  I can zill   (oh yeah)
   1      1     -     1  2  1        1      -     1  2  1        ( 1  2 )
   R     R     -     R L R         R      -     R L R        ( R L )
   D     D     -     T k T          D     -     T k T           (T k)

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Masmoudi Kebir
The “Big Masmoudi” is a longer rhythm with two phrases.

Basic Masmoudi Kebir: (8/4)
Oh  *  yeah *  I can really zill  *  yeah - I can really zill - I can really zill
  1    *    1     *       1 2 1 2 1        *      1     -      1 2 1 2 1       -       1 2 1 2 1
  R   *    R     *       R L R L R      *       R    -     R L R L R      -       R L R L R
  D   *    D    *        T k T k T       *       D     -     T k T k T      -         T k T k T

 Masmoudi Kebir variation: (8/4)
I can zill I can zill I can zill I can zill  - I can zill  *  yeah  -  I can zill  -   I can really zill
  1  2  1      1  2  1      1  2  1      1  2  1    -    1  2  1   *    1       -      1 2 1    -        1 2 1 2 1
  R L R        R L R       R L R      R L R     -    R L R    *     R     -       RLR     -         RLRLR
  T k D        T k D        T k T       T k T      -    T k D     *     D     -        TkT     -          TkTkT

Another Masmoudi Kebir variation: (8/4)
I can zill I can zill I can zill I can zill  -  I can zill - I can really zill - I can really zill
  1  2  1      1  2  1      1  2  1      1  2  1    -   1  2  1     -    1 2 1 2 1        -      1 2 1 2 1
  R L R       R L R       R L R       R L R     -   R L R     -    R L R L R        -     R L R L R
  T k D        T k D       T k T         T k T     -    T k D     -     T k T k T         -     T k T k T

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Malfouf.
Upbeat rhythm often used for entrances and exits. “Malfouf” means “wrapped around”.

Basic Malfouf (2/4):

 Ornamented Malfouf:

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Saidi
This folkloric rhythm with its heavy, earthy feel is often used for the men’s stick dance (Tahtib)
or the women’s cane dance (Raks Assaya).

 Basic Saidi (4/4):

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Ayoub
A rhythm used for the “Zaar” trance ritual, which women can use to make peace with their “inner demons”.
It can be played very slowly (head-tossing, etc.) or very quickly (spinning).

 Basic Ayoub (2/4)

 Ornamented Ayoub (2/4):

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Ciftetelli
Ciftitelli is a Turkish rhythm that is most often played slowly and dramatically.

 Basic Ciftetelli: (8/4)
Yeah *    oh   *  yeah  *   I  can  - zill
     1   *    2     *     2     *   1     1  -  2
     R   *    L    *     L     *   R     R -   L
     D   *    T    *     T     *   D     D -  T

 Ciftetelli: (8/4)
Yeah * oh yeah  * oh yeah  *  I can - zill
     1   *    2   2     *     2   2     *     1   1   -  2
     R  *    L   R    *      L   R    *      R  R   -  L
     D  *    T   T    *      T   T     *      D  D   -  T

 Another variation of a Ciftetelli: (8/4)
Yeah * oh yeah *  oh yeah *  I can really zill
     1   *    2   2     *    2   2      *        1 2 1 2 1
     R  *    L   R    *    L   R      *        R L R L R
     D  *    T   T    *    T   T       *        T k T k T

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Karsilima
A lively, bouncy Turkish rhythm. The name means "face to face".

 Basic Karsilima: (9/8)   
I   *  can *  zill   *    I  - can - zill                                   
1  *    2    *   1    *      1 -   1  -  1                                   
R  *    L   *   R    *      R -   R -  R                                      
D  *   T    *   D    *      T -   T  -  T                                     

Basic Rom Karsilima: (9/8)  
 I   *  can  *  zill   *  oh yeah 
 1  *    2    *   1     *    1      1
 R  *    L    *   R    *    R     R
 D  *    T    *   D    *    T     T

 Karsilima variation: (9/8)
Yeah -  I can zill  I can zill  *   I  - can - zill
    1    -      1 2 1      1 2 1       *   1  -   1  -  1
    R   -      R L R     R L R       *  R  -  R  -  R
    D  -       T k T       T k T       *   T  -  T  -  T

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Student Resources: Tips and Rhythms for Zill Practice: Resources for Middle Eastern Rhythms:
Click on a website link below to open it in a new window

Compact Discs:
Mimi Spencer's "Zils: The Art of Playing Finger Cymbals" CD and Book

Mary Ellen Donald's "Mastering Finger Cymbals" CD and Book

Lily Splane's "Zills On Fire" CD and Instructional Book
Warning: This website automatically plays a startlingly loud sound file when you open the first page.

Hossam Ramzy's "Rhythms of the Nile" CD

Jalilah's "Raks Sharki 4: The Rhythm Workshop" CD

Nourhan Sharif's "Arabic Rhythms Volume 1" CD

Websites:        
Jas's Middle Eastern Rhythm Guide

Mas'ud's Rhythm Guide

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