One of my favorite rhythms to interpret and immerse myself in is wahda. It has a distinctly languid feel, and can be heard in both classical and popular Arabic music. Wahda is often used in the sung verses or slower parts of the song, usually where the voice or melody is the highlight. While it has four beats to the measure, like the popular upbeat rhythm maqsoum, wahda lacks maqsoum’s driving percussive quality. It’s most notable feature is the strong downbeat or dum on the “1″ which can be followed simply by tecs on the “3″ and “4,” but more often these tecs are ornamented with subtle rolls.
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counts
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1
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&
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2
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&
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3
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&
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4
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&
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rhythm
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Dum
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Tec
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tec
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With only one strong downbeat followed by subtle ornamentation, wahda does not draw too much attention away from the melodic instruments, or the vocals. You will find it in most of Um Kulthoum’s music where her voice and the lyrics are the focus.
Tips for Interpreting Wahda
Wahda lends itself to a lyrical quality, and works well with smooth, circular, and undulating movements rather than more obviously rhythmic movements, such as hip drops. Shimmies may be layered on these, especially if the melodic instrument is a kanoon or oud. Periodically, accent the dums to really bring out this rhythm, but don’t feel you have to hit every dum; it is important to vary your movement so that it doesn’t become predictable. Try making some dum accents heavy and loose, and others more subtle. Turns or level changes may be an interesting way to underscore a dum that your audience isn’t expecting!
Once you think that you have mastered these tips- feel free to PLAY! Remember, you are the artist and this is your expression.
Tags: belly dance, Belly Dance Rhythms, Middle Eastern music
