Palestinian shibbabeh

This very basic and simple musical instrument is a short flute, made out of a straight pipe, be it metal, reed, or even plastic, and apart from having six holes punctured into it, it has no mouthpieces or other extra attire. The musician is therefore required to produce the sound by blowing into the upper end of the flute in a specific fashion, remotely similar to blowing on the neck of a bottle.

Because of this basic way of producing sound, the shibbabeh produces a raw, yet ringing tone, that can be modulated by opening or closing combinations of holes of the flute. It is tuned in the oriental setting, producing the melancholic eastern sounds that are so closely in tune with the landscape of Palestine. Here's a small sample of the shibbabeh, played by Doc Jazz, in a 3ataabeh style, which is typical of Palestinian popular songs.

The shibbabeh that this was played on was made out of the familiar yellow plastic tubing that is used in construction work, to guide electricity wires through the concrete. This yellow straight tube was sawn to the right length, and modelling the size and the position of the holes to an original aluminium shibbabeh bought from a Palestinian shepherd, it was finished easily and quickly.

Make your own shibbabeh

Making your own shibbabeh is very easy; after all, it is just a tube with six holes, without any mouthpiece. Therefore, anyone who has a drill and a tube can make a shibbabeh.

However what one does need is the right measurements, since they decide whether the tones that are produced can actually be used for making music.

In order to help preserve Palestinian culture, I have created the following images, explaining how to make your own shibbabeh. I hope many of you will decide to make one, and play our nation's countryside tunes, like dal3onah, 3alla, wein 3a Ramallah etc. Let us keep our traditions alive, and show the world that we have no intention of being erased from the world's memories !

In the first picture, the correct measurements are displayed. Start by sawing the proper length, then drill the furthest hole first (lower left corner of the image), working towards the mouthpiece at the appropriate distances. File the holes and the ends of the tube, then finish them with sandpaper. Could it be any easier?

 Picture 1: Measurements

Playing on your home-made shibbabeh

To understand the second picture, imagine standing above someone who is holding a shibbabeh to his mouth, and looking down. This is important, in order to be able to see in what position it is held, and what angle it makes in relation to the imaginary midline.

It is not very easy to produce the sound, but it's not that difficult either. It will take several attempts to produce a tone, but once you have produced it a few times, you will find it increasingly easy to reproduce it, and soon you will thoughtlessly pick up your shibbabeh and play a tune without even thinking about the position you're holding it in.

When you are still starting out, remember to press the shibbabeh against the corner of your mouth properly, against the outside of your lips. Make sure it is positioned such that the other edge of the shibbabeh lies exactly in the middle of the air stream that you are blowing out. The way you pout your lips is very similar to ordinary whistling, although it takes a slight release of pressure in order to make this motion soundless, so that the tune is only produced by the shibbabeh. In other words, you're not supposed to whistle while you play.

Go ahead and try it out ... send me a meassge if you have any further questions. Sometimes it can get frustrating to produce the tone at first, but remember ... those who persevere will undoubtedly be able to produce the sound!

Picture 2: Producing the sound