FAST RHYTHMS

The most often used fast rhythm is the Ayoub which goes like this:

Doum kaDoum Tek, Doum kaDoum Tek, Doum kaDoum Tek, Doum kakaDoum Tek

It is played at a fast pace and is a 2/4 rhythm (that just means a double speed rhythm)

The CUE for this rhythm is a short Yip with eye contact to the drummer.

Any move will fit with this rhythm, it is down to the lead dancer to pick whether she dances on the beat, the half beat or totally slows it down to the 4th beat if she wants to do slow rhythms.

The Khaleegi Combo works really well with this rhythm, but not the Water Pot or the Chico, and definately not the Masmoudi or the Wahde Kabira Combo (the slow ones).

MEDIUM RHYTHMS

We mostly use 3 of the 4/4 rhythms and any of them work well with the following moves and combos.

Beladi  - Doum Doum tekka Tek Doum tekka Tek tekka Doum Doum tekka Tek Doum tekka Tek

Saidi - Doum Tek tekka Doum Doum tekka Tek tekka Doum Tek tekka Doum Doum tekka Tek

Maqsoom - Doum Tek tekka Tek Doum tekka Tek tekka Doum Tek tekka Tek Doum tekka Tek

They are played at a medium pace and are 4/4 rhythms which means normal speed.

The CUES for any of these 4/4 rhythms is a long eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyip

Any of the Arabic, Egyptian, Hip Bump or Shimmy Family will go well with them. The Water Pot Combo goes really well with the Maqsoom and the Chico goes well with the Saidi. If the drummer is playing one 4/4 and you want a different one, just give the same cue again until you get the one you want. Any of the rhythms will do fine for any of the above combos so dont worry. The Khaleeji combo will fit but not as well as with the Ayoub. The slow Masmoodi and Wahde Kabira Combos will not fit at all.

SLOW RHYTHMS

We use mainly 2 slow or 8/4 rhythms, half paced rhythms

Masmoodi - Doum Doum Doum Tek Ka Doum Tek Ka Tek

Wahde Kabira - Doum Ka Tek Ka Tek Doum Doum Tek

The Cue for a 8/4 rhythm is a trill with a yow at the end

Only do slow moves or slow combos with these rhythms such as The Camel Walk, The Body Wave, Torso Rotation, Mayas, Taxeems, Snake Arms, Sea weed Arms.

The Masmoodi goes well with guess which combo, and the Wahde Kabira with guess which other one!

The Cue for the drummer to speed up any of the rhythms is Aiwa shouted in a short sharp way and a Aiiiiiiiiiiiiwaaaaaaaa in a long drawn out way will make them slow down. Just keep repeating until you get the speed you want. Try not to speed up the slow rhythms as they just sound a bit silly when played fast.