Intermediate/Advanced Players Level 1

Level 1 — Technique & Groove Foundations

Build the technical control and groove foundation required for advanced darbuka playing.

This level is designed for intermediate players who want to clean up their technique, improve timing and control, and strengthen their groove execution before moving into advanced musical expression.

Across a structured set of lessons, you will develop pattern coordination, groove clarity, rolling control, tremolo consistency, and ornament placement. Each exercise is demonstrated from slow to fast with clear explanations and slow-motion breakdowns.

Level 1 is the essential foundation stage of the Darbuka Lessons for Intermediate–Advanced Players program.

WHAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO AFTER LEVEL 1

Play grooves with better clarity, timing, and tone
Use ornaments and accents more confidently
Build clean and controlled rolling and tremolo technique
Develop a stronger 2/4 and 4/4 groove foundation
Understand how to begin groove-based solo ideas
Perform major Middle Eastern rhythms accurately
Be fully prepared to continue with Level 2 — Advanced Musical Expression

You can watch the first lesson, the introduction, for free!

Curriculum

6 Sections
32 Lessons
Lifetime

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Section 1 - Pattern Exercises
8
Section 2 - 2-4 Groove and Ornament
4
Section 3 - How to Create 4-4 and 2-4 Groove Solo
4
Section 4 - Rolling-Tremolo
3
Section 5 - Hakan's Groove and Independent Ideas
5
Section 8 - Popular Rhythms
8

Instructor

Hakan Kaya

Born into a musician family in Istanbul, Hakan Kaya began his musical journey at an early age within the rich rhythm traditions of Anatolian folk music. He received his first percussion training from İzzet Kızıl and Şenol Cümbüşlü, and at the age of 16 studied Indian rhythms and Tabla in Varanasi, India. For many years, Hakan Kaya has performed with leading musicians and taught Darbuka, Riq, Frame Drum, and Def to students from around the world. In 2013, he became the first Turkish percussionist to release an instructional darbuka DVD. Today, his teaching blends tradition, technique, and musical expression, shaped by over 25 years of playing and teaching experience.