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Finger Cymbals

Jamila Salimpour created a finger cymbal method to easily break down and understand complex patterns to specifically accompany the wide variety of Middle Eastern musical rhythms and maqams.  Her clear process and patterns quickly spread worldwide and are now the primary finger cymbal method used today.

In 1977, based on her years of teaching and reading, Jamila published An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instrument to coordinate with her Playing Finger Cymbals with Jamila album.  In 2014, with Jamila’s encouragement, Suhaila Salimpour recorded Cymbal Jams, audio training downloads, the School’s most comprehensive finger cymbal resource.  In Cymbal Jams, Suhaila  breakdowns over 72 finger cymbal patterns including the 42 from Jamila’s album.  Patterns are broken down slowly and then up to tempo both right and left hand dominant.

Primary Learning Tool

Recommended Supporting and Historical Resources

Finger Cymbal Research

Jamila was an avid researcher who searched through libraries, antique stores, and flea markets for every bit of information she could find about the history of belly dance.  Here we provide images and excerpts that contributed to her research.  Some of the images are mock-ups from her finger cymbal manual.  Jamila’s main reference list used in providing supporting material for her cymbal manual is below.

Jamila's famous finger cymbal introduction. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Dancing Girl with Castanets, 1909, painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Persian dancer using khartals. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Etruscan funeral dance with clappers (top). Egyptian dancers with percussive sticks (bottom). A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
A kayak dancer playing cymbals, and a Gnaoui musician playing quorqabas. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Coptic priest playing finger cymbals. Copper engraving, 1723, by Arnold van Westerhout. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
The sistrum was used in ritual by the devotees of the Goddess Isis. Copper engraving, 1723, by Arnold van Westerhout. Inset image is a close-up sketch of a sistrum. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
In Ancient Egypt, dwarves were sought after as good luck charms in the name of the dwarf god, Bes. This dancer is using clappers, also called bones. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Examples of dancers using clappers. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Bacchante (priestess of Bacchus) sounding the crotals. Based on a drawing by Thomas Hope, Costumes of the Greeks and Romans, 1812. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Greek Dancer with castanets based on a drawing in The Dance by an Antiquary. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Ancient dancer holding the cymbals horizontally and striking them vertically. Copper engraving, 1723, by Arnold van Westerhout. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Dancer holding cymbals vertically and striking them horizontally. Copper engraving, 1723, by Arnold van Westerhout. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Pompeiian Dancer accompanied by avletos, cymbals, and tambourine. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
A dancer from Chicago World's Faire accompanying herself with finger snapping. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Dancers using crotales (top), and dancers accompanying themselves with finger snapping (bottom right). A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Turkish dancer playing clappers. Copper engraving, 1723, by Arnold van Westerhout. A mock-up for one of the pages in Jamila's manual, "An Illustrated Manual of Finger Cymbal Instruction: History, Evolution, and Related Instruments" published in 1977.
Rosa, the Turkish Dancer from the Midway Plaisance at the World's Columbian Exposition 1893 in Chicago, Illinois. Published in the Pictorial Album and History: World's Fair and Midway, Chicago: Harry T. Smith & Co., 1893.
Jamila presented her finger cymbal method in a poster form so that dancers could tack the resource to the wall as a guide when practicing.

An improvised finger cymbal duet between Jamila Salimpour and Suhaila Salimpour at Rakkasah West 2005.

A very, very rare clip of Jamila and Suhaila performing Sallam Alley and Atchan Ya Sabaya with finger cymbals at a 1977 workshop show in the Northwest United States.  Music from Dances for Festive Nights.

Jamila Salimpour’s Finger Cymbal Bibliography

  • Buonanni, Filippo. The Showcase of Musical Instruments. Dover Publications, 1964.
  • Lexova, Irena. Ancient Egyptian Dances. Volume 48 of Dance Horizons Series. Dance Horizons, 1974. (Unabridged reprint from book originally published in 1935).
  • Sachs, Curt. The Rise of Music in the Ancient World, East and West. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1943.
  • Sachs, Curt. The History of Musical Instruments. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1968.
  • Wesslesz, Egon and Jack Allan Westrup. Ancient and Oriental Music. London: Oxford University Press, 1957.
  • Westlake, N. H. J. The Dance: Historic Illustrations of Dancing from 3300 B.C. to 1911 A.D. by an antiquary. London: J. Bale, Sons, and Danielsson, Ltd, 1911.