The Dancing Cymbalist


 

Learn how to play finger cymbals with skill & freedom

  • with dance & with other musicians

  • for meditation & sound healing

THE DANCING CYMBALIST

How to play music with finger cymbals & dance at the same time

©Jenna Woods 2007

204 pages with 145 photos

ISBN-13: 978-0-9778193-0-0

ISBN-10: 0-9778193-0-2

$33.95 USD

Click here to buy now!

 

This book illuminates the art of playing finger cymbals like never before - a comprehensive resource for Middle Eastern dancers of all styles - and anyone interested in percussion, dance or meditative sound.

 

Learn how to:
• Choose a set of finger cymbals for tone, pitch, tuning, character & venue
• Get the best sound out of any set

• Improve your sense of time & rhythm
• Learn rhythms more easily
• Improve speed & coordination
• Play 23 techniques with 6 kinds of variations
• Find & push your Edge in any direction
• Meditate with the sound of finger cymbals
• Improvise & play solos

• Magnify the power of group unison

• Play effectively with other musicians

and much more!

 

Abundantly illustrated with photographs and charts, seasoned with stories, inspiration, and practical wisdom from dervishes, professional musicians, and professional Middle Eastern dancers, it offers innovative, in-depth instruction that will help you make the most of the wide variety of finger cymbals available now.

 

Introducing the Nur Method, it streamlines coordinated practice for playing music while dancing, helping you master your goals more easily at every skill level, from beginner to professional.

 

With contributions from:

Morocco Eva Cernik
Horacio Cifuentes
Karim Nagi Aziz
Siovana el-Nashir
Dunya
Z-Helene Robin Adnan Anders
Adnan Sarhan Amina Salah
Layne Redmond
& others

 

Reviews:

 

The instruction is incredibly deep and broad. Even accomplished zill players will find enough material to keep them busy for a long time.

Nadira Jamal

Belly Dance New England magazine

(May/June 2009, Vol. 12, No. 2)

 

When the subject is mastering zills, whether you are an instructor or a beginner, The Dancing Cymbalist has the answer you are looking for....Using the Nur Method, even those with the smallest sense of rhythm can achieve success. Whether purchased as a reference book or instruction manual, The Dancing Cymbalist is a must have for both student and professional. The NUR Method - light versus frustration and despair. Come to the light! Make it your own. [note: Nur means "light" in Arabic]

Deede Parikh
Drummer/Instructor
(July/August/September 2008)

 

"WOW! I started dancing almost 30 years ago, and finger cymbals were my enemy. If only this book had been available to me then. I remember my own epiphany...suddenly I was playing a musical instrument and my zills became part of the music instead of an annoying attachment to my fingers.... It was very empowering, and with this book, Jenna gives us that empowerment. The Dancing Cymbalist is an incredible resource."

Mezdulene

Editor, Jareeda

International Magazine for Middle Eastern Dance

(July/August 2008)

 

"After working with this book, I have already noticed a difference both in my playing and in my dancing, not just in the realm of finger cymbals and Middle Eastern dance, but in all the professional music and dance endeavors that are my livelihood and passion. Thank you, Jenna!"

K. M. Chandler

Santa Fe, NM

 

"The book is unbelievable. I feel honored to be a part of it, it looks absolutely beautiful. I shall enjoy studying it, and shall treasure it as a sort of zill bible!"

Horacio Cifuentes

Tanz Akademie Cifuentes, Berlin, Germany

 

"[The Dancing Cymbalist] is a piece of art, history, knowledge and conceptual framework. I danced for many years on the edge, with my husband Bon's live drumming and singing, and no recorded music. It was challenging and very disconcerting. I find that all my experiences from that time are clarified for me in the research and profound statements you make in this book."

Keeta of KeetaBon

Greeley, CO

 

"The Dancing Cymbalist is a thorough, interesting, and helpful guidebook for the practice of playing finger cymbals, and a must for those who have difficulty mastering and playing them while dancing.

Jenna's knowledge is remarkable and her love for playing zils infectious. This book deserves a place on the bookshelf of any Middle Eastern dancer, especially teachers."

Suzanna Del Vecchio

Oriental Dance artist & international instructor/performer

Denver, CO

 

All of the material in The Dancing Cymbalist has been tested in classes and workshops! While there are many, many hours' worth of workshops in the book, I present key concepts in my Zillfest workshops. To see what they say about it, you can click here:

Zillfest Feedback

 

Excerpts

 

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