- Learn what “Goblet Drums” are and what separates Doumbeks and Darbukas
- Discover which type of Goblet Drum fits your playstyle the most and how you can utilize it in your music
- Explore the most notable benefits and drawbacks of Doubmeks and Darbukas
In every major city, at least a handful of street musicians can be seen playing a drum that resembles an oversized chalice.
These “goblet drums” hail from ancient Egypt and look and sound much different from your average floor tom. Even though they are ancient and native to the African continent, they became widespread in Middle Age Balkans and Asian countries before finally reaching the Western musical communities in the early 1800s.
Doubmeks and Darbukas are among the most popular types of Goblet Drums, and if you’re looking to learn more about them, you’ve come to the right place.
As a history buff, I would be remiss if I also didn’t note that the earliest versions of goblet drums predate most other forms of percussive instruments. As centuries passed, Goblet Drums branched into various styles, including Tarabuka, Darbuka, Tumbak, Zerbaghali, and other instruments.
Today, I’ll mainly focus on Doubmek and Darbuka drums. Although they share more than a few similarities, they are very different in design, sound, availability, and other fields. Before we jump to the things that set them apart, let’s first have a brief rundown of what Doubmeks and Darbukas are.
Doumbek vs Darbuka: Differences
Doumbek drums are much older percussion instruments than Darbuka, which underwent many transformations. While Darbuka drums are almost exclusively made of aluminum or bronze materials, Doumbeks are made using clay, wood, ceramic, bronze, or aluminum.
Doumbek drums offer a more rounded tone with a slightly stronger emphasis on resonance and sustain, while Darbukas offer a punchier, somewhat brighter sound. Although both drums can come in various sizes, Doumbeks have larger heads and slightly taller bodies than Darbukas.
Darbuka drums are typically lighter, but that doesn’t mean they are more suited for beginners. These percussion drums are supposed to be played in a similar style (rested on the leg), but the reduced hitting surface and quicker response of Darbuka drums make them slightly harder to play.
Doumbek Origins
Doumbek, or “Dumbek,” is an instrument mainly associated with Arabic music from the Middle Ages. This drum was likely named using the concept of onomatopeia; Arabic people sometimes called objects after the sounds they produced, which perfectly describes two types of “notes” you’ll hear while playing this drum – “Dum” and “Tek.”
If you’re wondering why this instrument isn’t called “Dumtek,” the Arabic language promotes flexibility and practicality – “Dumbek” was easier to pronounce.
Like all Goblet Drums, Doumbeks are supposed to be rested on the leg and played with both hands. Today, they’re typically made from metals like aluminum, so their natural tone is very “springy”. They used to be made of clay, wood, and bronze throughout the Middle Ages, although their crafting styles varied from country to country.
Darbuka Origins
Like Doumbek, Darbuka originated in Asia, although it’s believed to be a slightly younger instrument. Aesthetically, if you placed the Darbuka and Doumbek drums back-to-back and neither had any unique markings or engravings, it would be almost impossible to tell which is which.
That’s where the European style of Darbukas comes into the picture. Namely, these instruments were prevalent among Balkan folk throughout the Middle Ages, as well as the Turks of the Ottoman Empire.
Another brief history lesson: the Ottomans fought the Balkan countries for centuries and ultimately conquered them. While under Ottoman rule, many countries would partially assimilate with their culture, even appropriating specific names. For instance, many Slavic countries call Darbukas “Tarabukas” even today.
Traditional drumming patterns, engravings, color styles, and even materials associated with Darbukas are different in European, Asian, and African countries. For instance, Turkish-style Darbukas are often made of smooth aluminum (similar to Doumbeks), while Slavic Darbukas are often made of wood, but certain models are made of copper.
Additionally, Darbuka drums usually have a narrower body. This also influences the tone to a degree. The sound is warmer than Darbuka’s since it ricochets more often across the body. There are several unique sub-categories of Darbuka drums, the most notable being the Arabic Duhulla, a wider bass-like version of this drum.
Differences Between Doumbeks and Darbukas
| Doumbek | Darbuka | |
|---|---|---|
| Materials & Build | Clay, wood, ceramic, bronze, aluminum | Bronze, aluminum |
| Sound | Round, full-bodied, warm | Bright, sharp with extra attack |
| Size | Up to 17-18 inches overall, 10-inch heads | Up to 14-15 inches overall, 8-inch heads |
| Weight | Full-sized typically weigh 16-17 pounds | Full-sized typically weigh 13-14 pounds |
Material
Doumbeks and Darbukas have existed for centuries, and at certain points in time, you could find both versions of this instrument made of the same material – aluminum. This is largely because existing Doumbeks inspired the invention of Darbukas.
Even though aluminum is easily the most accessible metal on the planet, many people didn’t know that during the early Middle Ages. As the older type of goblet drum, Doumbek used to be made of a range of other materials before harvested & processed aluminum became readily available to nearly everyone everywhere.
The earliest versions of Doumbek drums were made of heated mud – in other words, clay. People with access to simple sculpting tools could easily fashion one out of the mud if they got the shape right, although these Doumbeks would only last a short time and sound great.
I’m not certain whether wood was the second material used to create Doumbeks, but it certainly was among the first. It was effortless to chop a log and whittle it down to a goblet shape, even with the simplest tools available to Middle Age people.
Bronze had been around for eons when Doumbeks were discovered, so it was only a matter of time before someone decided to make one out of it. Cast bronze had significantly different properties compared to clay and wood – not only is it sturdier, but it’s also acoustically more pleasant. Darbukas were invented around the same time bronze Doumbeks began popping up, meaning that both versions existed simultaneously for at least some time.
Using aluminum to craft Doumbek drums began centuries ago and continues today. Unlike Middle Age civilizations, modern drum-making brands like Yuka and Meinl now use cast aluminum layered with metallic coatings for extra durability.
The main difference between Doumbeks and Darbukas is that Darbuka drums came a bit later. This may be only my speculation, but I believe that people didn’t make Darbukas out of mud (clay) or wood because they already knew how to use better materials (like bronze and aluminum) from their experience in crafting Doumbeks.
Sound
The sound of any drum is mainly influenced by its tonewoods. In the case of Darbukas and Doumbeks, the “tonewoods” are the materials I mentioned in the sections above – clay, wood, bronze, and various processed aluminum materials.
The earliest Doumbek drums were sonically very different from Darbukas (from any period). Firstly, the first versions of Doumbek drums did not have “skins” on their heads. They were purely made of heated mud. Just tap on any clay pot you may have at home, and you’ll notice it would create a reasonably dull sound.
When wood-made Doumbeks came to be, I’m sure people used animal skins as drum heads since this has been a common practice for other instruments. The base of a Doumbek would consist of a hollowed tree trunk, and the heads would complement the wood’s natural acoustics, resulting in better sustain and a much brighter tone.
The accurate comparison between the sound of Doumbeks and Darbukas begins with aluminum. Darbuka drums have always been made from this material, and what separates an aluminum Doumbek from an aluminum Darbuka is how this material was processed, the drum’s head size, and its overall size.
While all goblet drums have slim profiles, Darbuka drums are slightly narrower than Doumbeks. When the head is struck, the vibrations bounce off the body far more frequently since the walls are closer. This means that Darbukas have a sharper attack and a weaker sustain than Doumbek drums.
Size & Playability
The size of the drum somewhat affects the tone while majorly influencing its playability and portability. In short, if you want to know which type of drum is easier and more practical to learn, that would be a Darbuka – the slimmer, smaller, and lighter of the two.
Since Darbukas and Doumbeks are meant to be rested on the player’s leg (or lap), the extra-wide Doumbeks are slightly more challenging to jump into. Finding the best playing position is even more difficult for kids and teens since these drums can upward of 15-17 pounds. Doumbeks can be as tall as 17-18 inches and come equipped with shells up to 10 inches in diameter. Conversely, Darbukas are usually about 14-15 inches tall with 8-8.5-inch diameter heads.
Wrapping Up
Darbukas and Doumbek drums have a lot of history with each other. These drums are historically and culturally important, so picking them will allow you to enjoy a slice of what ancient drummers have been doing for centuries.
The comparison between Darbukas and Doumbek drums can be likened to comparing siblings. The older Doumbek is better-rounded and used to be available in a barrage of different material styles, while the younger Darbuka picked up the best quirks of its brother and refined them to perfection – it’s the story of an all-rounder versus a “specialist” drum.
