The goblet drum is a goblet shaped hand drum used in Arabic music, Persian music, Balkan music, Armenian music, Azeri music, Jewish music and Turkish music. Its thin, responsive drumhead and resonance help it produce a distinctively crisp sound. It is of ancient origin, and is believed by some to have been invented before the chair.

The instrument is known by different names in different regions. These names all refer to a goblet-shaped drum; however, the construction and playing methods of each are so varied as to make many of them different instruments altogether. Nowhere outside the United States is the drum called Dumbek or Doumbeck, regardless how similar the name might seem.

·        Darbakeh/Tarabuka (General)

·        Doumbek/Doumbeg (Armenian)

·        Dumbul/Dunbul (Azeri)

·        Tarambuke (Balkan)

·        Tombak/Tonbak (Iranian)

African drums such as the Djembe are related in origin through the African connection, but are rarely included in discussions of the goblet drum.

Materials

The great goblet drum has a single drum head on one end and is open on the other end. 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 PET film or FiberSkyn, as well as more traditional animal skins, such as goat or fish. In general, goblet drums tend to 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. Furthermore, drums with Mylar skins can be played very loudly, making them well-matched with modern brass and electric instruments.

The West African djembe, a related instrument, is larger and made from a log carved into a goblet shape.

Technique

Goblet drums are 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 djembe, found in Africa.

There are two main types of goblet drums. 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 goblet drum may be played while held under one arm or by placing it between the knees while seated. It produces a resonant, low-sustain sound while played lightly with the fingertips and palm. Some players move their fists in and out of the bell to alter the tone. There are a variety 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 goblet drum. 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.

Another technique commonly used in Bulgaria Turkey, and Egypt, is to tap with the fingers of one hand and with a thin stick in the other. In Turkey the stick is called the cubuk, which means wand, or stick. The gypsies of most of the countries associated with the goblet drum use this technique.