Here are some simple exercises and variations from my files. I will dig out some of the more advanced ones later on this week. I really hope these line up.

Exercises in Maqsum
P k P k P k P k ( x 4 )

D k P k k D k P k k
D k P k P k P k k

P k P k P t k t k T ( x 4 )

Maqsum variations
1.) D k k k D k k kk
2.) D T k T D k T kk
3.) D T kk T D kk T kk
4.) D T tk T D tk T tk
5.) D T k t k T D tk T tk
6.) D k k P D k P kk
7.) D P k P D k P kk
Variation #1 is used to train to be able to play
variations #6 and #7.

Soumbati (Al Wahda Al Saheera) or small Chiftitelli
4/4
basic D kT kT D kkT kk
variation D kT kT D D S kk
Bambi
D kTkT tktk D kk
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Hotcha
8/4
D k T T T kT T D k T T T tktktk
with Masmoudi variation
D D k T T T k T T D k T T T kk
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Masmoudi
8/4
basic D D ktttkt D ktkT tktkT kk
Var.1 D D D tktt D ktkT tktkT kk
Var. 2 DkDD tktt D ktkT tktkT kk
Var. 3 DkDS tktt D ktkT tktkT kk

Amir Naoum Exercises
1. Dum Ka Ka Ka
2. Dum Ka Tek Ka
3. Dum K K Dum K
4. D K K D K K D K K D K
5. D K K K D K K K D K K K D K
6. D T K T K T K T K T K T K
7. T K T K D T K T K T
8 D K D D K D D K D D K
9. T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K

Baladi Variations
1. D D K T D K T K K
2. D D K T D K K T K K
3. D D K K T D K K T K K
4. D D t k T D t k T t k
5. D D K K T D K K K T K K
6. D D K K T D K K K T K K K
7. D k D K K K T K D K K K T K K K
with Pops
8. D D K P D K P K K
9. D K D K P D K P K K

Malfouf is clearly a 2/4 rhythm. The syncopation in the pattern does nothing to change that. Indeed, the common phrase ending of "D-D-S---" highlights that the rhythm is clearly felt as a 2/4.

Furthermore, accents do not indicate beats. Accents are accents and may fall on a downbeat, an upbeat, or somewhere in between.

The only reason I've ever encountered an 8/8 time signature was with a piece that deliberately shifted the beat feel into groupings of two, three, and four, varied from measure to measure. That was in a piece I composed for string quartet. I've never encountered an 8/8 piece that I can recall as a performer, whether in orchestra, wind ensemble, jazz groups, percussion ensembles, or anywhere else. Not to say that they don't exist, for I know some do; it's just rare to use that time signature.

32/4 would be 32 quarter notes in a measure, the presence of 32nd notes is irrelevant. :)

I'm not talking about how you notate or count in the context of Middle Eastern music. I'm just talking about how the sound of a stripped down, skeletal version of Malfuf would be interepreted by someone who ONLY knows western, staff sheet notation. Dotted-8th, dotted-8th, 8th is easier to keep track of if you count as "1, 4, 7" than if you count "1, a, a" or "1, ta, ta." Choosing a time signature in the west is open to some degree of interpretation, depending on what you want to imply or communicate with those numbers. Not saying 2/4 is wrong, I'm just interested in understanding why 8/8 is so frowned upon in this situation.

Again, I think this may boil down to a difference in the importance of beat vs accent in the two systems. As Jas's page describes (I think that was the page) strict adherance to a metronome click isn't as important in ME music so this may be a case of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. This may be something to consider as the organic rhythms are adapted into typically stricter staff form.

P.S. I'm not a professor of music theory either. I studied it throughout high school and college but that was an increasingly long time ago! I don't mean to step on anyone's toes or railroad this conversation, I just thought it was an interesting discussion and maybe relevant to the project.

And just to clarify, I TOTALLY did not mean to imply that anyone here was ignorant of music! I've taken great classes from fantastic drummers who've openly told me they don't know how to read sheet music. It's really a non-issue. It's not in any way a reflection on someone's skill and I would never be so eurocentric to ever imply that it does.

It was more an aknowledgement of how convoluted my attempt at an explanation was. There's a reason I'm not a teacher of ANYTHING! :)

This project is all about creating a common vocabulary for us to use, so, yeah, we need to standardize with one universal name. That way we can simply use that name while noting we're using this particular lexicon and those who don't know it can find a copy and look it up.
We decide which version of Bambi we want to tie the name to and then we can all say "Bambi" and know what's referred to.

I'm not particular as to what language would get used. I suspect it would be most useful to use names that we find most common, without regard to what language they come from. If a rhythm is most commonly known using the Egyptian name, then we us that one, where the next rhythm is most commonly known with the Turkish name, so we use that one.

I'm thinking we should probably put together a list of the rhythms to be included. What do you think are the essential rhythms to know?