Zill Patterns and Playing Tips
There are many rhythm combinations used in Middle Eastern music and finger cymbals can be used in a variety of patterns to accent the music in different ways. This page will focus on the more common rhythms and playing patterns. Before you jump into these patterns though, you should familiarize yourself with the basic techniques and various sounds your zills are capable of making as well as the notation style I will use on this page.
The first thing you want to do is make sure you are wearing you finger cymbals properly. Whether you have one-hole sagat or two slot zills they should be worn on the middle finger and thumb of each hand and the elastic should fit snuggly around the finger just below the nail bed. It should be tight enough that you may even notice your fingertips becoming blue. As long as you can have them on your fingers for about 45 minutes without your finger tips hurting then your good. If they start to hurt before that you may need to loosen them a bit.
Next let's focus on the four basic sounds that zills can make. If your new to zilling you may not hear the minor differences between some of these but eventually your ear will be able to pick it out. Although most dancers stick with either one tone, or unknowingly switch between two of them, a professional zill player may well use all four to create more interest and to better match the rhythm of the drum.
The basic Zill sounds you can make are:
Ringing (R): A high pitched resonating sound made in one of two ways. The first is by snapping the zills together head on and pulling them apart quickly. The pulling apart quickly being the key to a good ring. Your other fingers should not be touching the zills otherwise they will deaden the sound. The other way is to strike them at an angle so that the rims strike against each other but they never make full surface contact.
Dull Ringing (D): This is a duller tone than just plain ringing. This is the sound made when you snap the zills together head on but do not immediately pull them apart. It can also be made by stabilizing the top zill by putting the pointer and ring finger on the zill. This allows the bottom zill to still produce a ringing tone while the top is deadened. Both methods can produce a dull ringing.
Clanking (C): This is a dull flat tone which is created by stabilizing the top zill (middle finger) using the ring finger and pointer finger to hold the back of the zill on either side of the middle finger. The zills are then snapped together but not pulled back immediately. There should be a moment before you pull the zills apart so that the bottom also cannot resonate. This causes both halves to clank together.
Tapping (T): This is another dull, flat tone. This sound is made by turning the zills on your thumbs to the side so when you snap them together you will hit the side or rim of the bottom zill tap the inside of the top zill.
Here is an example of the different sounds and how they can be used together to create further interest and variation to the patterns.
Each pattern here will be written out in several ways. The first will indicate a counting pattern in which the count and correlating hand are indicated. Downbeats are noted as bold letters/numbers. Then there are also variation patterns which show how to play the pattern while utilizing the different sounds the zills can make and rhythms which coordinate with the patterns. After that there are phrases which mimic the pattern (Mnemonic phrases). some people find saying a phrase in their head while zilling more helpful than a counting pattern. Mnemonic phrases can also help in communicating the correct pace of the rhythm when counting patterns are not as clear. So, ready to get started?
To quickly navigate to a specific group of patterns you can click on its name below or scroll down till you find it.
Singles / Roll
Counted:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Right Handed:
R L R L R L R L
Left Handed:
L R L R L R L R
Sound Variation:
R C C C C C C C
Mnemonic Phrase:
Su-per-ca-li-fra-gi-lis-tic
Ba-ba-ga-noush is ver-y good / but my cousin Ah-med likes ta-bouli
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used at varying speeds with
pretty much any rhythm. Singles can last any count
but I've shown them here in 8 counts. The second
Mnemonic phrase has a 16 count (or 2 bars of 8 count)
1-2-1
Counted:
1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1
Right Handed:
R R L R R R L R
Left Handed:
L L R L L L R L
Sound Variation:
T T T C T T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
Here are-my zills! Here are-my zills!
Rhythms:
This pattern works well with Karachi (2/4 time signature).
1-2-2
Counted:
1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2
Right Handed:
R R L R L R R L R L
Left Handed:
L L R L R L L R L R
Sound Variation:
R T C T C R T C T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
I, can zill, I can! I, can zill, I can!
Rhythms:
This pattern works well with Malfouf (2/4 time signature).
2-2-1
Counted:
1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1
Right Handed:
R L L R L R L L R L
Left Handed:
L R R L R L R R L R
Sound Variation:
T T T C T T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
Rhythms:
This pattern works well with Fellahi (2/4 time signature).
It can also be used to accent a basic Beladi (Masmoudi
Saghir).
3's / Gallop / Longa|
Counted:
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
Right Handed:
R L R R L R R L R
Left Handed:
L R L L R L L R L
Sound Variation:
T T C T T C T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
I can zill I can zill I can zill
Rhythms:
This pattern works with any rhythm with an even
time signature (ie. 2/4, 4/4, 6/4, 8/4, etc...)
1 - 3 - 3 - 3 / Basic 4/4
Counted:
1 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
Right Handed:
R R L R R L R R L R
Left Handed:
L L R L L R L L R L
Sound Variation:
R T T C T T C T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
Oh I can zill I can zill I can zill
Rhythms:
This pattern works with any rhythm with a 4/4 time
signature.
3-7-3
Counted:
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3
Right Handed:
R L R R L R L R L R R L R
Left Handed:
L R L L R L R L R L L R L
Sound Variation:
C T R T T T T T T C T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
I can dance, I can really belly-dance, I can dance!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
It works especially well with Maqsoum where the base
dum's will fall on the 3 and the 7 as shown in bold here.
3-3-7
Counted:
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Right Handed:
R L R R L R R L R L R L R
Left Handed:
L R L L R L L R L R L R L
Sound Variation:
C T R C T R T T C T T T R
Mnemonic Phrase:
I can dance, I can dance, I can really really dance!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
3-5-5
Counted:
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Right Handed:
R L R R L R L R R L R L R
Left Handed:
L R L L R L R L L R L R L
Sound Variation:
C T R T T C T T C T T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
Baklava! Give me all of it! Give me all of it!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
It works especially well with the Wahid Kebir rhythm.
3-5-1-3
Counted:
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 2 3
Right Handed:
R L R R L R L R R R L R
Left Handed:
L R L L R L R L L L R L
Sound Variation:
T T C T T T T T R T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
Here I am, in my harem pants, now, I can dance!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
It works especially well with the Saidi and Beladi
rhythms.
3-1-3-1-3
Counted:
1 2 3 1 1 2 3 1 1 2 3
Right Handed:
R L R R R L R R R L R
Left Handed:
L R L L L R L L L R L
Sound Variation:
T T C R T T C R R T T*1
C T T R R T T C T T R*2
Mnemonic Phrase:
What a thrill, that, I can zill, oh, what a thrill!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
It works especially well with the Saidi*2 and Beladi*1
rhythms.
1-3-3-3-1-3-3
Counted:
1 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 1 2 3 1 2 3
Right Handed:
R R L R R L R R L R R R L R R L R
Left Handed:
L L R L L R L L R L L L R L L R L
Sound Variation:
R T T C T T C T T C R T T C T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
Here, is-my-chance, so-I-dance, &-entrance, I, love-to-dance, for-my-fans!
Rhythms:
This pattern works well with the chiftittelli rhythm (8/4 time signature).
1-1-1-3
Counted:
1 1 1 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 3
Right Handed:
R L R R L R R L R R L R
Left Handed:
L R L L R L L R L L R L
Sound Variation:
R T C T C T R T C T C T
Mnemonic Phrase:
Rhythms:
This pattern works well with Khalegi (2/4 time signature).
It may help to think of this a 1 2 3 123 with a slow, slow,
slow, fast, fast, fast tempo.
1-3-2-2-1
Counted:
1 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2
Right Handed:
R R L R L R L R L
Left Handed:
L L R L R L R L R
Sound Variation:
R T T T T C T T T
Mnemonic Phrase:
Here are-my-zills and-I can-play them!
Rhythms:
This pattern works well with the Bolero rhythm.
4-7-4 (Rolled)
Counted:
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4
Right Handed:
R L R L R L R L R L R R L R L
Left Handed:
L R L R L R L R L R L L R L R
Sound Variation:
C C C C T T T T T T C C C C C
Mnemonic Phrase:
yes I can dance, I can really belly-dance, yes I can dance!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
It works especially well with Maqsoum where the base
dum's will fall on the 4 and the 7 as shown in bold here.
4-4-7 (Rolled)
Counted:
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Right Handed:
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R
Left Handed:
L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L
Sound Variation:
C C C C C C C C T T C T T T R
Mnemonic Phrase:
yes I can dance, yes I can dance, I can really really dance!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
4-5-5 (Rolled)
Counted:
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Right Handed:
R L R L R L R L R R L R L R
Left Handed:
L R L R L R L R L L R L R L
Sound Variation:
C C C C T T C T T C T T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
My Baklava! Give me all of it! Give me all of it!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
It works especially well with the Wahid Kebir rhythm.
4-5-1-4 (Rolled)
Counted:
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 2 3 4
Right Handed:
R L R L R L R L R R R L R L
Left Handed:
L R L R L R L R L L L R L R
Sound Variation:
C C C C T T T T T R C C C C
Mnemonic Phrase:
I-love-to-zill, it is such a thrill, oh, I-love-to-zill!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
It works especially well with the Saidi and Beladi
rhythms.
4-1-4-1-4
Counted:
1 2 3 4 1 1 2 3 4 1 1 2 3 4
Right Handed:
R L R L R R L R L R R L R L
Left Handed:
L R L R L L R L R L L R L R
Sound Variation:
T T T T R C C C C R T T T T*1
C C C C R T T T T C T T T T*2
Mnemonic Phrase:
It's time to zill, then, shim-my and thrill, I, can't get my fill!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with most 4/4 rhythms.
It works especially well with the Saidi*2 and Beladi*1
rhythms.
5-5-5's (Syncopated)
Counted:
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Right Handed:
R L R L R R L R L R R L R L R
Left Handed:
L R L R L L R L R L L R L R L
Sound Variation:
C T T T C T T C T T C T T T C
Mnemonic Phrase:
It is time to zill, yes it's time to zill, it is time to zill!
Rhythms:
This pattern works well with the Karsilama rhythm. It is
syncopated so the first and last set of five matches the
rhythm but, the middle set of five will feel... 'off'.
5-1-5-1
Counted:
1 2 3 4 5 1 1 2 3 4 5 1
Right Handed:
R L R L R L R L R L R L (1's can also be R)
Left Handed:
L R L R L R L R L R L R (1's can also be L)
Sound Variation:
C T T T C T C T T T C T
Mnemonic Phrase:
Zilling is so fun, Oh, zilling is so fun, Oh!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with Ayub (2/4 time signature)
The right/left handed patterns are made to be optimally
used with the sound variation pattern but it may be
easier to play the pattern by using the dominant hand
on the singular 1's as is usually recommended for playing.
The sound variation is easier to play with the alternating
pattern shown here.
1-5-5-1
Counted:
1 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1
Right Handed:
R R L R L R R L R L R L
Left Handed:
L L R L R L L R L R L R
Sound Variation:
R T T T T T T T T T C T
Mnemonic Phrase:
Oh, zilling is so fun, zilling is so fun, Yes!
Rhythms:
This pattern can be used with the Wahida rhythm.
1-1-6-1-5-6
Counted:
1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6
Right Handed:
R R R L R L R L R R L R L R R L R L R L
Left Handed:
L L L R L R L R L L R L R L L R L R L R
Sound Variation:
R R T T T T T T R T T T T T T T T T T T
Mnemonic Phrase:
I am really realy happy I'm doing a taqsim and I look so pretty!
Rhythms:
This pattern works well with the Masmoudi (kebir) rhythm
(8/4 time signature).
Now that you've learned some patterns to play on your zills you may want to learn how to care for and maintain them by visiting the Care of Zills page. If your interested in learning more about Zills you may also want to visit the About Zills page.
If you want more information or demonstrations on playing zills you might want to check out the following resources:
DVD's
Books
