Malfuf, Wahda and Chiftitelli

For your review, here's the notation for the "home" version of the rhythm malfuf, which has a 3-3-2 structure:

Malfuf 2/4
1...2...
D..T..T. [listen]

According to Maqam World, this is typically played fast, and most commonly for popular and folkloric music. The Arabic word malfuf means "wrapped" or "spun around."  The same structure played half time, over four beats rather than two, is known as wahda. The Arabic word wahda means "one" or "single", and is more common in classical music.

Wahda 4/4

1.2.3.4.
D..T..T. [listen]

 

Now, check this out:

Chiftitelli 8/4

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.
D..T..T.D.D.T... [listen]

Notice the first half of this rhythm has a 3-3-2 structure over four beats, like wahda. 

The Greek and Turkish languages have the term ciftitelli, which may variously refer to a particular folk dance, or to belly dance in general, or "dance" in general, or to a improvised melodic solo (taqsim) over a slow pulse (see Wikipedia and Shira's Glossary of Belly Dance Terms). 

Confused? If a dancer with a background in NWR (or the SCA) asks for chiftitelli, it's probably a safe bet to play the above rhythm. If any other dancer asks for it, you might best get clarification before taking the stage, just to avoid unwanted surprises. 

Happy Practicing!

Beladi and Masmoodi

For many dancers (and drummers), the rhythm commonly known as "beladi" feels comfortably familiar; I heard one dancer describe it as "home base" — it's often the first rhythm one learns to dance to (or play), and it might seem the one you go back to after excursions into other rhythms.

Many Arabic musicians refer to the rhythm as masmoodi saghir, or "small masmoodi". So is there a big version? You bet! What Arabic musicians call masmoodi kabir (big masmoodi) is what musicians and dancers in the U.S. typically refer to as "masmoodi"  [1, 2]. 

Here's the interesting part: they're the same rhythm! Beladi is just double-time masmoodi (and masmoodi is just half-time beladi).

Here's beladi:

And here's masmoodi:

The first is made up with eighths notes and rests, the second with quarter notes and rests.

Here's another way to think of it: Say a dance choreography has eight beats of masmoodi followed by eight beats of beladi; In the first eight beats, masmoodi would play through ONCE, and in the second eight beats, you'll hear beladi TWICE. 

Try listening/dancing to this combination: http://bit.ly/7OqfB4. 

Keep in mind that musicians typically don't play such simple versions - they embellish each of them in very different ways, ideally to compliment and inspire the dancer's moves.

So what about this word "beladi"? It means "of the country" or "old-fashioned" [2], and you'll hear it more commonly in folk or pop music than in classical Arabic music [1].

References:
[1] MaqamWorld.com
[2] Jas's Middle Eastern Rhythm FAQ

Class # 11 - Jan 17

Malfuf 2/4
1...2...
D..T..T. (home version) [listen here]
D..C..C. (home variation, frame drum)
D.kT.kT. (a common variation) [listen here]
DkkTkkTk (another common variation) [listen here]


You can listen to this "in situ" (and play along). One nice tune is Stellamara's "Kereshme"[listen now: hifi | lofi] (the rhythm starts at around 2:20).

Homework

1. Play malfuf while "stepping" the 2-pulse with your feet (you can do this sitting in a chair). A drum machine or drum sequencer program can really help. 
   
   
2. Select another variation and learn it. Combine it with your first variation, and learn that. Prepare yourself to show others your variation in the flow of play through the call "match me." 
   
   
3. Work on technique. Try some visual approaches to practice to help you.
   

Optional Reading

3+3+2: The World’s Most Famous Rhythm Structure by Jerry Leake

This article demonstrates the prevalence of this rhythmic scheme throughout the world and history.

Visual Approaches to Improving Technique

We all learn in different ways. You've probably heard some people tend to focus more on visual sensing and thinking when learning, while others tend to tune into auditory channels, or lean more heavily on movement based sensing and thinking. We actually use all of these modes when we learn, and we may rely more on one approach than another, depending on what we're learning.

Regardless of your preferred method, I recommend consciously exploring ways to practice that utilize these different modes to discover what each can offer you.

Today, let's talk about some visual approaches you can take to your technique practice.

Visual Observation of a Model

Watch a video of the technique(s) (see the list of links to Instructional Videos in the sidebar on the left). Concentrate on identifying every specific characteristic you can discern visually - you might even turn off the sound while watching. (Hint: if you download videos to your PC, you can use Windows Media Player to watch them at a slower speed, or on your iPhone, pause the video then tap and hold the fast forward button).

• At what angle is the drum held?
• Where does the non-dominant hand rest on top of the drum? If the face of the drum were a clock, at what hour does the hand rest? The fingers?
• At what angle does the arm, hand and fingers intersect the edge of the drum for the Dum? The Tek? The Ka? (The Cha?)
• What spacial relationships exist between the finger and the drum edge?
• Where exactly on the drum is each stroke placed? What does that look like?
• How do the fingers move after they strike the drum?
• Are the fingers straight? Cupped? Fingers together or apart?
  
• Where and how does the arm, elbow, wrist, hand, or fingers bend or move?
• Where do you see tension? Where do you see relaxation?
• What stays relatively still? What has the greatest motion?

Visualizing the Dum, Tek, and Ka (and Cha)

With your eyes closed, visualize a Dum as you saw it in the video, but in slow motion. Picture what your Dum would look like in slow motion from another person's perspective, then visualize it from your perspective.  

If something in your imagining isn't in clear focus, go back and watch the video again, noticing specifically the details you need to make your visualization crystal clear.

Repeat this for the Tek and Ka (and Cha)

Getting Visual Feedback

Set up a mirror so that you can see your drum and hands clearly from the outsider perspective. 

Play your Dum and really look at it from both your perspective and in the mirror.

• Does it look like the model in the video? In what ways does it look the different? In what ways does it look the same?
• What do the angles look like? The angle of your arm, hand or fingers?
• Where and how do you bend or rotate?
• Do you hold the relatively still parts relatively still?
• Do your fingers look like the fingers in the video?

Keep tweaking until your stroke looks like the stroke in the video.

When you're satisfied with the Dum, move on to the Tek and Ka (and Cha).

Many thanks to Philip Johnston and his chapter on visualization in his book Practiceopedia for some of the techniques and inspiration for this post.

Happy practicing!

-- Tara Severns