Zill

Zills, also called zillia, zils, or sagat, are small metallic cymbals often used in belly dancing and similar performances. They are similar to Tibetan tingsha bells and can be attached in pairs to a frame to make a tambourine.

These tiny instruments have many names depending on the language. In Arabic, they are called nuqaisāt (after the naqus), and in Persian, they are known as sanj angshati. In Turkish, they are simply called zil. They add a lovely jingling sound to music and dance.

History

Zills, also called finger cymbals, are part of a group of musical instruments known as clappers. Clappers are instruments made from materials like wood, bone, and metal that make sound when struck together. They often come in pairs and can be held in the hands or strapped to a performer’s fingers. Other types of clappers include spoons, bones, and castanets.

One of the earliest kinds of clappers were wooden krotala used in Greece around 500 BC. Ancient pictures show people at festivals playing krotala. Later, during the Roman Empire, finger cymbals appeared in art from places like Bulgaria, Italy, and Belgium. The tradition of using finger cymbals continued through the Middle Ages. By the 18th century, we see dancers in Egypt and the Ottoman Empire using these instruments.

Zills are a key part of Middle Eastern belly dancing, especially among the Ghawazi dancers. They are also used in some Egyptian rituals and in Sufi music. Dancers use zills to help create rhythms that are important in these traditions. In Egypt, they are used in raqs sharqi, a type of oriental dance, while in Roman dances from the Ottoman Empire, they are used in a more lively way. Today, zills are also used in new music styles that mix Arabic rhythms with jazz and electronic music.

Features

A set of zills has four small cymbals, two for each hand. They are usually about 5 cm (2 in) across, but they come in different sizes and shapes, which change how they sound. Bigger zills make louder sounds and are used when dancing with music, while smaller zills make softer sounds for quieter places.

Zills are often made from brass and can look shiny, dull, plain, or engraved. In the past, they were tied to fingers with leather, but now they use elastic to hold them on. Players can make many different sounds with zills, from quiet clicks to loud clacks.

Zills are used in belly dancing and sometimes in Western music. They are also used in Sufi music for meditation. Different dances have special rhythms that dancers play with zills.

Triples, not to be confused with triplets: _left/right/left/pause_ – “giddyup, giddyup, giddyup”)

• Quads: L/R/L/R (no pause)
• Beledi: dum/dum/tek-a-tek/dum-tek-a-tek
• Chiftatelli: dum/dum/tek-a-tek/dum/dum/dum – “John went to the sea; caught. three. fish.”
• Ayoub: dum/a-tek-tek – “buy more shoes, and…buy more shoes, and . . .”
• Bolero: dum/tek-a-tek-tek/dum/dum/dum/dum – “I want to be a belly dancer”
• In the count of the beat, the gallop is played as "and a ONE, and a TWO..." It can also be played as right/left/right/rest. Many teachers recommend thinking of it as dominant hand / non-dominant hand / dominant hand / rest.