Browse LearnFilelia

Learn

Explore the music.

← All rhythm guides

Filelia فيلالية

A Moroccan 12/8 study with different opening and answering phrases. Dum stays on counts 5 and 11 while the Tek pattern changes between bars. [1][2][3][4]

12/8Morocco

Hear the shape of the rhythm.

Basic

Parts play together; bars follow one another.

3 + 3 + 3 + 3 · eighth-note groups

Bar 1

Bendir · Filelia phrase
1T—
&—hold
2·rest
&·rest
3T—
&—hold
4·rest
&·rest
5D—
&—hold
6·rest
&·rest
7·rest
&·rest
8T—
&—hold
9·rest
&·rest
10T—
&—hold
11D—
&—hold
12·rest
&·rest
Darbuka · 6/8 response
1T—
&—hold
2T—
&k—
3T—
&—hold
4T—
&—hold
5D—
&—hold
6T—
&—hold
7T—
&—hold
8T—
&k—
9T—
&—hold
10T—
&—hold
11D—
&—hold
12T—
&—hold
Tarija · answer
1·rest
&·rest
2·rest
&·rest
3T—
&—hold
4·rest
&·rest
5T—
&—hold
6—hold
&—hold
7·rest
&·rest
8T—
&—hold
9—hold
&—hold
10·rest
&·rest
11T—
&—hold
12—hold
&—hold

Bar 2

Bendir · Filelia phrase
1·rest
&·rest
2·rest
&·rest
3T—
&—hold
4·rest
&·rest
5D—
&—hold
6·rest
&·rest
7·rest
&·rest
8T—
&—hold
9·rest
&·rest
10·rest
&·rest
11D—
&—hold
12·rest
&·rest
Darbuka · 6/8 response
1T—
&—hold
2T—
&k—
3T—
&—hold
4T—
&—hold
5D—
&—hold
6T—
&—hold
7T—
&—hold
8T—
&k—
9T—
&—hold
10T—
&—hold
11D—
&—hold
12T—
&—hold
Tarija · answer
1·rest
&·rest
2·rest
&·rest
3T—
&—hold
4·rest
&·rest
5T—
&—hold
6—hold
&—hold
7·rest
&·rest
8T—
&—hold
9—hold
&—hold
10·rest
&·rest
11T—
&—hold
12—hold
&—hold
D · DumT · TekK · KaS · SlapP · PopR · RakZ · ZakKi Ti ki ti · ghost notesTra tra · tek + ka flam· · Rest
What do these notes mean?

Musical context

Filelia is a Moroccan teaching pattern. Practise the second bar’s opening silence as carefully as the strokes. Choose Basic or Classic to practise a complete two-bar phrase. Count from one again at each bar line; these groupings do not establish a compulsory traditional cycle. [1]

Names & context

Arabic name
فيلالية
Arabic alternatives
الفيلالية
Other names & spellings
Fillelia · Filelia 12/8

The chart spells the name Fillelia. Basic follows bars 17–18 and Classic follows bars 19–20, each as a complete two-bar ensemble. These are practice sequences, not one compulsory repeating cycle. The source’s S/s labels accompany written rests here; they do not mean the app’s slap stroke. [1][2][3][4]

Regions & traditions

  • Maghreb

Musical use and influences can span several regions. [1]

Sources & further reading · 4 references
  1. Darbatook · Maghreb: Chaâbi 6/8 and Filelia
  2. Darbatook · Stroke-symbol key
  3. Ali Alaoui · Rythmes du monde: performance scores, figures 30 and 73
  4. Ali Alaoui · Orchestrations rythmiques pour percussions arabes