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Tips on playing Sagat (Finger Cymbals)
- Never play your cymbals sitting down
- The knot of the elastic should be on the outside!!! Otherwise it changes the sound of the cymbals
- Use thicker less stretchy elastic for a firm grip on your fingers
- The sagat are placed on the thumb and middle finger.
- Open your fingers after hitting them together so that the sound reverberates and is not cut off and blunt. – This is not wrong. But is a different technique used for emphasis and sagat are not constantly played this way.
- Keep your elbows away from you body – lift them up.
- Start of by standing and playing a basic 3 rhythm (Gallop) R;L;R
- Try and keep a steady rhythm, not too fast and not too slow.
- After you are comfortable with the rhythm, start walking around the room.
- Try and keep a steady tempo or beat – if you can get a hold of a metronome, this will help in this regard.
- After you are comfortable with walking and playing at a steady tempo, vary your pace of walking, but keep the sagat tempo the same.
- Now alternate by keeping your walking pace the same and changing the tempo of your sagat playing.
- Now choose one easy movement and do it whilst you keep a steady tempo with your cymbals.
- As soon as you have mastered doing Belly Dance movements with your sagat, try and string a few movements together fluently whilst keeping a steady rhythm.
- Now Stop!!!
- Pick a song with a good, clear beat that you can identify.
- Play a 3 beat rhythm with your sagat to the song
- Do not play sagat to a taxim, it is inappropriate and considered rude. This is the solo of the musician and the dancer should not interfere with her own music- Respect this please!
- You can alternate playing sagat to different parts in the song and then stopping in other parts.
- You do not have to play an entire song through, but it is not wrong if you do.
- Now try adding in some movement to the song and your playing.
- There are many different rhythms to learn, other than the Gallop explained above, so have fun!
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!
And Have Fun!!!
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