Arab America

Lesson 8

Ronnie Malley 
Teaching Artist: Ronnie Malley

SUMMARY

This is the eighth and final lesson from the “Ya Habibi” unit. This lesson is a review of Arabic music and culture in America. Students will revisit instruments from this course and review rhythmic patterns.

OBJECTIVES

  • Identify cultural characteristics of Arabic music.

  • Perform rhythmic patterns.

  • Connect Arabic music and culture to learners’ own culture.

MATERIALS

READING RESOURCES

TEACHER BACKGROUND

This lesson was designed for two full classes/school periods. Teachers can amend the lesson duration to meet student needs, abilities, and accommodate class schedules. See the glossary at the end of this lesson and refer to it when necessary.

EXPLORE

1. Introduce students to the lesson by playing the video Arab America. Ask students to share important information from the video or course.


2. Distribute the Ya Habibi Travel Diary  and allow students to personalize it, drawing and recording important facts of Arabic music and culture. Refer to the glossary at the end of this lesson when necessary.

LEARN, PART 1

1. Ask students to recall the instruments and locate the regions of their origin on a map. Draw connections between instruments shown in the video and other familiar instruments that are similar. 

2. Review rhythmic patterns frequently practiced in the “Ya Habibi” unit by revisiting the videos from earlier lessons below. Students can begin by vocalizing the patterns, then pairing body percussion movements with each Arabic percussion sound:

Doum - hands on thighs, or fist gently on chest

Es - hold hands apart

Tak - clap


3. When students are familiar, invite them to substitute or add sounds from their learning space.

LEARN, PART 2

1. Review words spoken in the Middle East by playing the video Arab America. Invite students to share something special about their own cultures. Discuss the value and importance of learning about other cultures. 

2. Review rhythmic patterns frequently practiced in the “Ya Habibi” Course by revisiting the videos from earlier lessons below. Students can begin by vocalizing the patterns, then pairing body percussion movements with each Arabic percussion sound:

Doum - hands on thighs, or fist gently on chest

Es - hold hands apart

Tak - clap

3. When students are familiar, invite them to substitute or add sounds from their learning space.

4. Optional listening: Play the following videos, as examples of Arabic music being performed today in the United States. 

PERFORM+SHARE

1. Once students are familiar, split the class into small groups (of three or four students each). Assign each group a rhythmic pattern or ask them to choose as a group. Use body percussion or tones in the learning space to play the rhythmic pattern. After time to practice, invite each group to perform.

2. To extend this lesson, lead half of the class in playing a rhythmic pattern. As they continue playing, lead the other half of the class in an accompaniment using a steady beat with body percussion or tones in the learning space. After a few minutes, switch groups so all students have an opportunity to play the rhythmic pattern and steady beat.

3. Record a video or audio version of your students’ performance, then share it to the S'Cool Sounds Padlet.

GLOSSARY

‘Adani - from Eden

‘Anab - grapes

‘Arabi - Arab or Arabic

‘Ayni - my eye; calling someone “my eye” is a term of endearment in Arabic

Al-oud - pear-shaped, wooden, plucked string instrument found in West Asia and Africa; predecessor to the European lute, which derives its name (l’ute) from el-oud; also means wood or twig in Arabic

Arab - member of the Semitic people from the Arabian peninsula and parts of Africa who speak Arabic

Arabic - a Semitic language spoken in West Asia (also called the Middle East) and Africa

Arabic Percussion Alphabet: D (Doum) | - (Es) | T (Tak)

Ayub - an iqa’ (rhythm) played with 4 beats as: D - D T

Baba - father, or also a term of endearment for an elder

Baghanilik - I sing to you

Berber - member of the indigenous people of North Africa; also the name of the language

Bint - girl

Chaabi - folk

Dalia - grapevines

Darbuka - goblet shaped drum sometimes made out of clay and animal skin or

aluminum and plastic; also called doumbek, derbecki, or tabla

Debka - folk dance from the Levant; Arabic word for stomp

Douf - also called Bendir or Mazhar, is a frame drum

Dunya - Arabic word for world

Gulli - tell me

H’bibi - habibi

Habibi - Arabic word meaning my love; can be used as a term of endearment for people and pets

Helwa - sweet; also used for pretty

Iqa’ - rhythms and percussion from West Asia and Africa

Kahwa (also spelled qahwa and gahwa) - coffee

Khaleej - gulf

Khamsa - Arabic word for number five

Khayl - horses

Khumasee - pentatonic music scale; also called a blues scale

Laila - night

Leebi - Arabic for something or someone from Libya

Longha - a classical Middle Eastern music form

M’safer - traveler

Ma’salama - good bye; literally “go with peace”

Maqam - musical scales and music theory from West Asia and Africa

Marhaba - hello in Arabic

Masr - Arabic word for Egypt

Masri - something or someone Egyptian

Meta - when

Mouya - water (Sudanese Arabic dialect)

Murakkeb - assembled

Noor - light

Qudud Halabia - folk songs of Aleppo, Syria

Ramallah - city in Palestine

Rayeh - one who is going

Razaz - sprinkles (Sudanese dialect)

Riq - Egyptian tambourine with jingles and an animal or plastic skin

Saidi - music and people from the south part of Egypt

Salam - peace in Arabic

Shalabiya - pretty in Levantine dialect

Sham - nickname for the city of Damascus, Syria

Shlonak - hello, how are you? (Iraqi dialect)

Shofek - to see you

Sidi - mister, also used to denote saint

S’lam - salam = peace

Soubou - pour

Tabla - see darbuka; from the verb “tabl” (tuh-bel) meaning to drum in Arabic

Tair - bird

Wayn - where

Ya - oh

Arabic Rhythms in Review
Iqa’at (Rhythms)

Iqa’ ‘adani: D -D -T (Doum -Es Doum -Es Tek)

Iqa’ ayoub: D - D T (Doum Es Doum Tek)

Iqa’ chaabi Leebi: Tk D Tk D (Taka Doum Taka Doum)

Iqa’ chaabi Maghribi: T T - T D - (Tek Tek Es Tek Doum Es)

Iqa’ chobi: D D D T D -T -T (Doum Doum Doum Tek Doum -Es Tek -Es Tek)

Iqa’ karachi: T - T D (Tek Es Tek Doum)

Iqa’ malfouf: D -T -T (Doum -Es Tek -Es Tek)

Iqa’ maqsoum: D T - T D - T - (Doum Tek Es Tek Doum Es Tek Es)

Iqa’ merdoum (6 beats) D tk tk D tk tk (Doum Taka Taka Doum Taka Taka);

Iqa’ merdoum variation: D T tk D T tk (Doum Tek Taka Doum Tek Taka)