About the rhythms lessons

This course will help you practice and learn to embody some of the foundational rhythms of middle eastern dance.

In each lesson you’ll see some basic information including the count and pattern of the rhythm, a 15-30 minute combinations practice video, and a short contextual lesson with more information about the structure and use of the rhythm.

For the patterns, we will use the abbreviations D for doum (the low heavy tone of the drum), t for tek (the high sharp sound of the drum), k for ka (a tek sound usually played with the drummer’s oppsite hand), and – for the rest between sounds (in practice these spaces are often filled by additional ornamentation).

Please Note:
  1. There is no prescribed order for working through the rhythms. Work through them however you wish. They are listed in alphabetical order for convenience.
  2. Clicking on the Complete Lesson button will record that you have completed it and take you to the next lesson. This can be helpful when you return to the course and need a reminder of where you left off. On the other hand, if you want to scan through the rhythms without marking them as completed, navigate through them using the sidebar navigation.