Salimpour Finger Cymbal Introduction

Finger cymbals are four brass discs applied two on each hand, to the thumb and middle finger, just below the fingernail and almost on the first knuckle. Bring the middle finger to the thumb to play the cymbals in a clean strike together without sliding. When first learning, maintain arms in a relaxed 2nd position with palms up and fingers relaxed. Maintain a curved line from the arm through the wrist for proper form and safety. You can play patterns by rotating the wrists through various positions, but do not hold the wrist stationary in a flexed position.

Jamila developed her own method of finger cymbal instruction including technique and patterns. She treated cymbals as an instrument separate from drums. Finger cymbal patterns are designed to coordinate with, but not mimic, drum patterns.

Jamila introduced finger cymbals  to beginning students in their very first classes. After learning basic patterns, students were encouraged to improvise with the cymbal patterns.

Cymbal Defaults & Notations

Each cymbal pattern is either right hand or left hand dominant, but every pattern can be reversed. To indicate a change from a default pattern, the pattern is written in brackets followed by the new dominant hand. In the below example, 3-1-3-1-3 is a right hand dominant pattern. Adding the L after the pattern means that the pattern will be played left hand dominant.

[3-1-3-1-3]L

LRL	L	LRL	L	LRL
&a1	&	2e&	3	&a4

In the left hand dominant pattern below, the entire pattern is included in brackets. Adding the R outside the brackets means the pattern is played right hand dominant.

[3-3-7 with LRT]R

RLT	RLT	RLRLRLT
&a1	&a2	&a3e&a4

Key

L: strike of the left hand R: strike of the right hand 

T: simultaneous strike of both left and right hands 

H: hold; denotes a long pause where no cymbals are played 

Rx: right hand crosses over to play on left hand (3 cymbal pattern)

Lx: left hand crosses over to play on right hand (3 cymbal pattern) 

{ }: triplet (three notes evenly played over two notes)

 Running: Singular pattern that runs over more than one measure to complete.

Alternating Singles

Alternating Singles Halftime

R	L	R	L
1	2	3	4

Alternating Singles Fulltime

RL	RL	RL	RL
1&	2&	3&	4&

Alternating Singles Doubletime

RLRL	RLRL	RLRL	RLRL
1e&a	2e&a	3e&a	4e&a

3s and 7s

3s (Half the Timing)

RLR	RLR	RLR	RLR
1&2	3&4	1&2	3&4

3s

RLR	RLR	RLR	RLR
&a1	&a2	&a3	&a4

3-1-3-1-3

RLR	R	RLR	R	RLR
&a1	&	2e&	3	&a4

7s

RLRLRLR	RLRLRLR
&a1e&a2	&a3e&a4

3-3-7

RLR	RLR	RLRLRLR
&a1	&a2	&a3e&a4

3-7-3

RLR	RLRLRLR	RLR
&a1	&a2e&a3	&a4

3s and 5s

Running 5s

RLRLR	RLRLR	RLRLR	RLRLR	RLRLR
1e&a2	&a3e&	4e&a1	&a2e&	3e&a4

3-5-5

RLR	RLRLR	RLRLR
&a1	&a2e&	3e&a4

5-5-3

RLRLR	RLRLR	RLR
1e&a2	&a3e&	4e&

3-5-1-3

RLR	RLRLR	R	RLR
&a1	&a2e&	3	&a4

3-1-5-3

RLR	R	RLRLR	RLR
&a1	&	2e&a3	&a4

4s, 4s and 7s, 4s and 5s

4s

RLRL	RLRL	RLRL	RLRL
{&-a}1	{&-a}2	{&-a}3	{&-a}4

4-1-4-1-4

RLRL	R	RLRL	R	RLRL
{&-a}1	&	2{e-&}	3	{&-a}4

4-4-7

RLRL	RLRL	RLRLRLR
{&-a}1	{&-a}2	&a3e&a4

4-7-4

RLRL	RLRLRLR	RLRL
{&-a}1	&a2e&a3	{&-a}4

4-5-5

RLRL	RLRLR	RLRLR
{&-a}1	&a2e&	3e&a4

5-5-4

RLRLR	RLRLR	RLRL
1e&a2	&a3e&	4{e-&}

4-5-1-4

RLRL	RLRLR	R	RLRL
{&-a}1	&a2e&	3	{&-a}4

4-1-5-4

RLRL	R	RLRLR	RLRL
{&-a}1	&	2e&a3	{&-a}4

Alternating 4s & 5s

RLRL	RLRLR	LRLR	LRLRL
1{e-&}	a2e&a	3{e-&}	a4e&a

R-L-RL

R	L	RL	R	L	RL
1	&	2e	3	&	4e

2s, 2s and 7s, 2s and 5s

2s

RL	RL	RL	RL	RL
1e	a2	&a	(3)e&	4e

RL	RL	RL	RL	RL
a1	&a	(2)e&	3e	a4

RL	RL	RL	RL	RL	RL
&a	(1)e&	2e	a3	&a(4)	e&(1)

2-1-2-1-2

RL	R	RL	R	RL
1e	&(2)	a3	&	4e

2-2-7

RL	RL	RLRLRLR
1e	a2	&a3e&a4

2-7-2

RL	RLRLRLR	RL
1e	&a2e&a3	4e

2-5-5

RL	RLRLR	RLRLR
a1	&a2e&	3e&a4

5-5-2

RLRLR	RLRLR	RL
1e&a2	&a3e&	4e

2-5-1-2

RL	RLRLR	R	RL
a1	&a2e&	3	&a(4)

2-1-5-2

RL	R	RLRLR	RL
a1	&	2e&a3	&a(4)

Left-Right-Togethers (LRTs)

Left-Right-Together (LRT)

LRT	LRT	LRT	LRT
&a1	&a2	&a3	&a4

3-1-3-1-3 with LRT

LRT	L	LRT	L	LRT
&a1	&	2e&	3	&a4

7s with LRT

RLRLRLT	RLRLRLT
&a1e&a2	&a3e&a4

3-3-7 with LRT

LRT	LRT	LRLRLRT
&a1	&a2	&a3e&a4

3-7-3 with LRT

LRT	LRLRLRT	LRT
&a1	&a2e&a3	&a4

5s with LRT

LRLRT	LRLRT	LRLRT	LRLRT	LRLRT
1e&a2	&a3e&	4e&a1	&a2e&	3e&a4

3-5-5 with LRT

LRT	LRLRT	LRLRT
&a1	&a2e&	3e&a4

5-5-3 with LRT

LRLRT	LRLRT	LRT
1e&a2	&a3e&	4e&

3-5-1-3 with LRT

LRT	LRLRT	L	LRT
&a1	&a2e&	3	&a4

3-1-5-3 with LRT

LRT	L	LRLRT	LRT
&a1	&	2e&a3	&a4

LRR

LRR	LRR	LRR	LRR
{1&a}	{2&a}	{3&a}	{4&a}

RLRR-LRLL

RLRR	LRLL	RLRR	LRLL
1e&a	2e&a	3e&a	4e&a

LRR-LRR-LR

LRR	LRR	LR	LRR	LRR	LR
1e&	a2e	&a	3e&	a4e	&a

LRRx4 & 4

LRR	LRR	LRR	LRR	LRLR
1e&	a2e	&a3	e&a	4e&a

Advanced Patterns

6s

RLRLRL	RLRLRL	RLRLRL	RLRLRL
{1-e}{&-a}	{2-e}{&-a}	{3-e}{&-a}	{4-e}{&-a}

Running 7s

RLRLRLR	RLRLRLR	RLRLRLR
{1-e}{&-a}2	{&-a}{3-e}&	{4-e}{&-a}1

RLRLRLR	RLRLRLR	RLRLRLR
{&-a}{2-e}&	{3-e}{&-a}4	{&-a}{1-e}&

10s

RLRLRLRLRL	RLRLRLRLRL
{&-a}{1-e}{&-a}2	{&-a}{3-e}{&-a}4

2-6

RR	LRLRLR	RR	LRLRLR
&a	1e{&-a}2	&a	3e{&-a}4

2-6-10

RR	LRLRLR	RLRLRLRLRL
&a	1e{&-a}2	{&-a}{3-e}{&-a}4

4-4-10

RLRL	RLRL	RLRLRLRLRL
{&-a}1	{&-a}2	{&-a}{3-e}{&-a}4

7-1-3-3

RLRLRLR	R	RLR	RLR
{&-a}{1-e}&	2	&a3	&a4

2-6-10-7-1-3-3

RR	LRLRLR	RLRLRLRLRL
&a	1e{&-a}2	{&-a}{3-e}{&-a}4

RLRLRLR	R	RLR	RLR
{&-a}{1-e}&	2	&a3	&a4

Moori

R	RLR	RLR	RLR	RR
1	&a2	&a3	&a4	&a

LRR	LRR	LRR	LRR	LRLR
1e&	a2e	&a3	e&a	4e&a

Karshilama

Karshilama (9/8)

R	RLR	RLR	RLR	RR
1	2&3	4&5	6&7	89

Karshilama (9/8)

R	RLRL	R	RLRL	R	R	R
1	2&a3	4	5&a6	7	8	9

Karshilama (9/8)

R	RLRL	RLRL	RLRL	RR
1	2&a3	4&a5	6&a7	89

Karshilama (9/8)

RL	RL	RL	RLL
1&	2&	3&	789

Taqsim Patterns

Taqsim (Waheda)

R	RLR	R	RLR	R	RLR	RLR	RLR	(H)
1	&a2	a	3e&	4	&a1	&a2	&a3	(4)

Taqsim (1-5-5-3-3-3)

R	RLRLR	RLRLR	RLR	RLR	RLR	(H)
1	&a2e&	3e&a4	&a1	&a2	&a3	(4)

Using Three Cymbals

Across or Crossover Patterns

When playing an “across” or “cross” pattern using three cymbals, bring the cymbal on the middle finger to play on the opposite thumb cymbal. For example, if playing the right cymbals across, hold the left hand in a C shape. Bring the cymbal on the right middle finger to the cymbal on the left hand thumb. The left hand maintains a stable position opening and closing as needed for the pattern. Using a flexing action of the wrist, strike cleanly with full hits, not slides. Any finger cymbal pattern can be played with three cymbals.

In this first example, the Rx outside the brackets applies to the entire pattern, indicating that every strike of the right is played by crossing the right hand over to play on the left.

[3-1-3-1-3]Rx

In this second example, the Lx indicates that every strike of the left is played by crossing the left hand over to play on the right hand; however, the pattern is still played right hand dominant.

[3-1-3-1-3]Lx

In this third example, L indicates left hand dominant, and Rx means the right hand crosses over to play on the left hand.

[3-1-3-1-3]L,Rx

In this final example, the strike for the 1 is crossed and only the first strike of each 3 is crossed.

RxLR-Rx-RxLR-Rx-RxLR

The content from this post is excerpted from The New Danse Orientale: Salimpour Belly Dance Instruction, published by Suhaila International in 2013 with updates and additional content added in 2023. The New Danse Orientale is a study guide and resource for belly dancers when learning Salimpour Vocabulary steps and step families.

If you would like to make a citation for this article, we suggest the following format: Salimpour, J. & Salimpour, S. (2023). Finger Cymbals. Retrieved –insert retrieval date–, from https://suhaila.com/finger-cymbals

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