The Darbuka

A goblet shaped hand drum used in arabic, persian, balkan and turkish musics. Its thin head is responsive and resonant producing a distinctively crisp sound. It is of ancient origin, and is believed by some to have been invented before the chair.

The tabla ( that's the arabic one) has a single drum head at one end and is open on the other. The body may be made of beaten, cast, or spun metal, ceramic (often with a glued-on head) or wood. Materials for the head include synthetics such as mylar or fiberskyn, as well as more traditional animal skins, such as goat or fish. In general, tablas have much lighter heads than African or Indian drums.

While ceramic bodies with skin heads are usually considered to have the best tone, metal bodies and Mylar heads are generally favored by professional musicians because of their practicality, since they are far more durable, easily tunable, and insensitive to weather conditions.

The tabla is played with a much lighter touch and quite different strokes (sometimes including rolls or quick rhythms articulated with the fingertips) than hand drums such as the African djembe.

There are two main types of tabla. 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.

The tabla is played on the hip, while sat down, although it can be played standing. It produces a resonant, low-sustain sound (the dum) while played lightly with the fingertips and palm. Some players move their fists in and out of the bell to alter the tone. There is a highly developed and nuanced set of rhythms that form the basis of the folkloric and modern music and dance styles of the Middle East.

There are two main sounds produced by the tabla. The first is called the 'doum'. It is the deeper bass sound produced by striking the head near the center with one or more fingertips. The second is called the 'tek' and is the higher-pitched sound produced by hitting near the edge of the head with the fingertips. A 'tek' struck with the secondary hand is also known as a 'ka'. 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.