The Duhulla is a type of bass drum
that is commonly found in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
percussion. Usually, it is played along with the
Tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
,
Goblet drum
The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet-shaped body. It is ...
,
Darabuka,
Riq (tambourine), and
Daf (frame drum.) Duhulla, sometimes referred to as Doholla, or Bass Darabuka, is mostly found across the
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
. Used mostly in festival settings,
it is part of many trans-regional traditional music and dance across the
Arab world
The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...
.
It is very similar to the
Darabuka (or as known by Egyptians, the
Tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
), but it is a larger version and has a deeper sound.
Construction
Traditional Duhullas consist of a clay body and a drumhead that is usually derived from animal hides such as that of a goat, cow, or camel. Modern varieties are made of either ceramic or metals such as aluminium and brass and feature a tuneable plastic drumhead. Heights can range from anywhere between 8 and 19 inches tall.
Sound
A Duhulla is known for its wide dynamic range. It can create both deep bass or high-pitched tones. While it can be used as a solo instrument, it is most commonly utilized as a complement to a
Tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
driven ensemble.
Cultural Uses
The Duhulla is used across the
Arab world
The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...
in regionally unique traditional music. Often it is used in an ensemble with other native
Arabic musical instruments
Arabic musical instruments can be broadly classified into three categories: string instruments (chordophones), wind instruments (aerophones), and percussion instruments. They evolved from ancient civilizations in the region.
Chordophones
Pl ...
.
References
Arabic musical instruments
{{Membranophone-instrument-stub