CD's, Books & DVD's  Available for Purchase

Middle Eastern Percussion Instruments

Music Theory & Key for Strokes

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This is a sample page from the book, where it appears with a different presentation.

Doumbec Delight

A 30 Lesson Course in Middle Eastern Drumming, with Basic Music Theory.
By Mary Ellen Donald. (1976)

Includes:

• Basic music theory
• Simple and fancy drum techniques
• Middle Eastern rhythms
• Guidelines for creating rhythmical variations
• Tips for accompanying belly dancers, and
• Practice suggestions

Spiral bound, 8 1/2 by 11 inches, 111 pages, beautifully illustrated.
US$20.00  

Companion Discs for Doumbec Delight
(1976; remastered 1999; discs released 2005)

These CD's include Mary Ellen playing most of the examples in the book several times, improvising solos, and playing the accent patterns of each rhythm at length to provide a steady backup for student practice.

Volume I  Covers Lessons 1-10  (2 CD set US$15.00)

Volume II  Covers Lessons 11-30  (2 CD set US$15.00)

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This is a sample page from the book, where it appears with a different presentation.

Includes:

• Basic music theory
• Techniques for playing cabaret and classical tambourine, tar (wooden frame drum), and mazhar (giant tambourine)
• Several variations for each of the following Arabic rhythms:

Spiral bound, 8 1/2 by 11 inches, 119 pages with 38 fine photographs.
US $25.00

Companion Discs for Arabic Tambourine
(1985; remastered 1999; disc released 2005)

Mary Ellen plays all of the examples in the book several times and includes improvised solos.  

Volume 1 Covers the cabaret tambourine. 
(2 CD set US$15.00)

Volume 2 Covers the classical tambourine, tar, & mazhar.
(2 CD set US$15.00)

For cabaret style tambourine played with fire and finesse in major pieces of the belly dance repertoire and for help in understanding the rhythmical structure of all of the pieces involved, we recommend Gems of the Middle East: Belly Dance Favorites from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Greece, a series of three CD's and three books, featuring Mimi Spencer on qanun (zither) and voice, and Mary Ellen Donald on doumbec and tambourine.  We invite you to visit Beautiful and Exciting Music for Belly Dance Performance & Just Good Listening, where you can hear selections and learn more details.

Click here for a larger image.


This is a sample page from the book, where it appears with a different presentation.

Instructional Book and CD's for Finger Cymbals

Beginner Cymbal Discs for Belly Dancers
by Mary Ellen Donald (1977; remastered 1999; disc released 2005)

After giving a brief lecture on rhythm and cymbal technique, Mary Ellen presents instructions for combining simple cymbal patterns with simple dance steps while providing a drum accompaniment throughout.  An introduction to popular belly dance rhythms is included.  This CD is useful for individual and group practice sessions.

To hear a song sample, click on Listen
Companion Discs for Mastering Finger Cymbals	Listen	Listen

US$12.00

Mastering Finger Cymbals, by Mary Ellen Donald.

Popular belly dance rhythms with suggested dance steps, exercises to strengthen cymbal technique and basic music theory.  (1976)

Includes:

• Basic music theory
• Exercises to strengthen cymbal technique
• Tips for co-ordinating dance steps and cymbal patterns
• Popular belly dance rhythms, and
• Guidelines for creating rhythmical variations

Spiral bound, 8 1/2 by 11 inches, 75 pages, beautifully illustrated.
US$15.00  

Companion Discs for Mastering Finger Cymbals
(1976; remastered 1999; disc released 2005)

Mary Ellen plays most of the examples in the book several times.  She also includes drumming sections so that students may practice improvising to the accompaniment.

2 CD Set US$15.00

For exciting high-quality music for your dance performance and for help with understanding the rhythmical structure of all of the pieces included, we recommend Gems of the Middle East: Belly Dance Favorites from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Greece, a series of three CD's and three books, featuring Mimi Spencer on qanun (zither) and voice, and Mary Ellen Donald on doumbec and tambourine.  We invite you to visit Beautiful and Exciting Music for Belly Dance Performance & Just Good Listening, where you can hear selections and learn more details.

Belly dance your way to a trim and toned figure with Azars 30 minute low-impact workout. Exercise to uplifting, authentic Middle Eastern belly dance music by Mary Ellen Donald and Mimi Spencer.

Nationally known, award-winning performer and instructor, Azar, will teach you to belly dance in a fun and easy to follow workout.  After warming up you will learn basic belly dance steps followed by an invigorating calorie-burning dance section. 

Also included: A special dynamic dance performance by Azar! 

a great way to gain coordination and poise! Evening Magazine CBS-TV
Azar is redheaded fabulositythis is darn fun! Jane Ganahl, San Francisco Chronicle 

Mary Ellen: If you yourself are beyond the beginning level of belly dancing, you might want to purchase this DVD as a gift for a friend who wants to get started in the dance.  If you are a belly dance instructor, you might find Azars methodical teaching approach to be helpful in organizing your own teaching. 

Price:  US $20