Wahda Kebira واحدة كبيرة

An eight-beat expansion of Wahda, common in mid-twentieth-century Arab vocal and instrumental music. Its long gaps let a melody unfold across the whole cycle; it is also known as Wahda Sunbati. [1][2][3]

8/4Egypt & the Levant · tarab repertoire

Hear the shape of the rhythm.

BASIC PATTERN

An eight-beat phrase with Dum on 1 and 5 and slap responses between them. Leave beat 8 open before returning to the first Dum.

4 + 4 · quarter-note groups

Darbuka

1DR

e·rest

&·rest

a·rest

2·rest

e·rest

&SR

a·rest

3·rest

e·rest

&·rest

a·rest

4SR

e·rest

&·rest

a·rest

5DR

e·rest

&·rest

a·rest

6·rest

e·rest

&·rest

a·rest

7SR

e·rest

&·rest

a·rest

8·rest

e·rest

&·rest

a·rest

D · DumT · TekK · KaS · Slap· · Rest

What do these notes mean?

Practise Wahda Kebira Try Classic

Names & context

Arabic name: واحدة كبيرة
Arabic alternatives: وحدة كبيرة · واحدة سنباطي
Other names & spellings: Wahda Kabira · Wahda el Kebira · Wahda Sunbati

Wahda Sunbati names this eight-beat cycle. The separate Sombati entry in this library is a four-beat teaching pattern. [1][2][3]

Video tutorials

Wahda Kebira: the long phrase
Mokhtar Kimo · Arabic · Beginner lesson
**Watch & try.** Mokhtar’s short Arabic lesson introduces Wahda Kebira. Keep counting through the open spaces and compare the phrase with the app’s expanded eight-beat study before adding ornaments.
Open on YouTube ↗
Mokhtar Kimo💥Tabla philosopher · تعليم الطبله 🌟 ايقاع الوحده الكبيرة 💥 مختار كيمو

Sources & further reading · 3 references

Learn

Wahda Kebira · واحدة كبيرة

Hear the shape of the rhythm.

Names & context

Video tutorials

Wahda Kebira: the long phrase

Wahda Kebira واحدة كبيرة