How To Play Finger Cymbals With Mesmera

Overall Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 5 stars)

This video features finger cymbal instruction by Mesmera, a dancer based in southern California. It is designed to take a dancer from knowing nothing at all about finger cymbals to being able to play them while dancing. It was produced by Harry Saroyan, who manufactures a popular selection of many finger cymbal styles.

Mesmera delivers two enjoyable performances in full costume on this video -- one at the very beginning, and another at the end. She uses finger cymbals in both.

Topics covered on this video include:

• Fundamentals such as how to deal with the elastic, how to muffle them when practicing, etc.
• Counting and basic technique such as the three types of sounds cymbals can produce.
• How to do dance movements and play at the same time.
• Varying the basic rhythms and producing the different types of sounds to keep the cymbals interesting.

On this video, Mesmera does not teach any belly dancing moves or combinations. It is assumed that you already know this, and she focuses on how to use the moves you already know in conjunction with the finger cymbals.

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This video was produced by Harry Saroyan, manufacturer of a popular line of high-quality finger cymbals for both students and professionals. The instructor is Mesmera, a well-known dancer from southern California. It's a winning combination -- the production quality of the video is excellent, and Mesmera is skilled at both playing finger cymbals and teaching the use of them.

Following the opening credits and an introduction by Harry, the video begins with Mesmera performing in full costume to Egyptian music. The set is well lit, Mesmera dances well (as usual), and the camera operator selected appropriate angles to make it easy to relax and enjoy the dance.

Next, the instructional part begins in earnest. It starts with very basic concepts such as how to select finger cymbals, anchor elastic, and mute them while practicing. From there, it moves quickly into the real "meat" of the video, which is finger cymbal technique. Mesmera covers the different types of sounds that cymbals can produce, basic rhythms and how to count them, how to play cymbals and move at the same time, and how to vary the rhythms and tone quality to keep the cymbals interesting. From there she moves on to playing along with music.

The instructional section closes with a tour of several rhythms used in Middle Eastern music, with some suggested cymbal patterns to play with each. Rhythms included and time allotted to each:

Baladi	4:40
Maqsoum	1:35
Chiftetelli	1:00
Masmoudi	1:29
6/8	:44
9/8	1:10

The sections on baladi, maqsoum, and masmoudi were reasonably strong, especially baladi. I was quite disappointed in the sections on chiftetelli, 6/8, and 9/8 though, because they came across as rather superficial. It was probably a question of trying to cram too much content into limited time. The video would have been stronger if only one of these three had been selected, and then more time allowed to it.

Following the tour of musical rhythms is the weakest part of this video: the "Cymbal Display". In this section, Mesmera walks up to a display of the many styles of finger cymbals available from Saroyan Mastercrafts and exclaims over them. "Just look at this! The sizes! The shapes!" Harumph. I was comfortable with the idea that Harry would use a slot on the tape he produced to promote his cymbals, but I found the implementation of it very, very annoying. Mesmera picked up assorted cymbals, struck them to produce the ring, and chirped happily about each. After all her natural, well-delivered instruction earlier in the video, it was jarring to see her putting on this act.

I would have preferred a more factual approach of selecting a cymbal, calling it by name, commenting on what type of dancer (student vs pro) it might be good for, and then producing the ring. I think that would have been a more effective marketing vehicle for Harry, because it would have provided information to help steer prospective customers to knowing what they wanted. Thank goodness this section lasted only 2 1/2 minutes!

You Will Probably Like This Video If

• You're a belly dancing student who wants to learn finger cymbals, and you'd like to use a video to help you do that.
• You're an experienced dancer who already knows how to play finger cymbals, but you'd welcome some new ideas from a highly-skilled pro.
• You teach belly dance, and you'd like some ideas on how to teach finger cymbal skills to your students.
• You've enjoyed seeing Mesmera perform in the past, or you've enjoyed a workshop that she taught, and you'd like to own a video that features her work.

You Probably Won't Care for This Video If

• You're such a brand-new student that you're still struggling to put together basic moves such as hip lifts, hip drops, figure 8's, etc. into a little dance. This video assumes that you already have a few movements and combinations in your arsenal.
• You're hoping to learn something about the history of finger cymbals or how they are used in the Middle East today.
• What you really want is in-depth instruction on Middle Eastern musical rhythms. Although this video offers exposure to several rhythms, it doesn't cover them in depth.

What I Liked:

• Mesmera took cymbal playing from the basics all the way through moving and playing at the same time.
• She offered a number of good ideas that could benefit even dancers who are already experienced at playing finger cymbals. I got some new ideas that I'm looking forward to trying.
• The production quality was very appealing: the lighting was excellent, the set was simple but attractive, camera work was skillfully done, and there was pleasant background music in some places that enhanced the mood of the video. Mesmera wore a nice-looking practice outfit.
• Mesmera often demonstrated by crossing her arms, to make it easier for someone watching her to match their right to her right, their left to her left. It was a clever idea, which I found to be effective.
• She counted things correctly, musically speaking.
• The video contained two enjoyable performances by Mesmera in full costume. And of course, she played her finger cymbals skillfully in these performances!
• The slipcase cover offered an index of how many minutes into the tape each topic appeared. This would be very useful for someone who later wants to go back and reference a specific section.
• The section on musical rhythms included drumming by Jeremiah Soto (of Solace) and two of Mesmera's troupe members. The on-screen drumming added a level of energy to the video, which I really enjoyed. The camera work and editing in this section were also excellent.
• I liked the introductory information about Harry Saroyan and his on-camera remarks. Many dancers (including me) have enjoyed his finger cymbals, costume coins, and musical recordings over the years, and it was nice to see his cameo appearance on this video that he produced.

What I Didn't Like:

• I wish Mesmera would not have used the word "triplet" as the name for the rhythm that uses 3 cymbal strikes. Musically speaking, the word "triplet" has a very specific meaning which is absolutely different from how she uses it. I dislike it when teachers provide this kind of misinformation.
• At one point in the video, the camera panned over a display of Saroyan cymbals while Mesmera fawned over them. The way Mesmera handled it was very artificial and irritating -- it came across as a bad actress playing the part of someone shopping and squealing with faked delight at each new discovery.
• The section on playing zills to accompany assorted Middle Eastern music rhythms felt as if too many rhythms were squeezed into too little time. In particular, I felt the treatment of chiftetelli, 6/8, and 9/8 was too superficial--it probably would have been better to cover a smaller number of rhythms, each in greater depth.
• It would have been good if Mesmera had spent a little time talking about the importance of silence. She demonstrated effective use of silence in her performances, but never specifically discussed it.

I've been a fan of Harry Saroyan's products since the mid-1980's, but never met him in person until 3 or 4 years later. Since the early 1990's, I've been acquainted with him, but didn't know him well. Within the past couple of years, I approached him about contributing some song translations to my web site, which he has graciously done. Through that, we've gotten to know each other better. Although I don't know him well enough to claim that we're close, I do consider him a "friend in the making". I learned about this video when we spoke at a belly dance event in March 2000, and I invited him to send me a review copy, which he did.

I don't have anything to disclose regarding Mesmera. We have had brief professional contact, but I'm certain she wouldn't recognize me if I walked up to her and said hello.

Contact Harry Saroyan as follows:

Saroyan Productions
Post Office Box 2056
Riverside CA 92516

Phone: (+1) (909) 783-2050
Fax: (+1) (909) 276-8510
Email: ZilsUSA@aol.com
Web Site: www.saroyanzils.com

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