Thread: What to do with spoons?

I got Turkish spoons, and I am happily clanking along. I am playing basic zills with a different piece of hardware, which is great fun. I am rather into it, it sounds good even with the plastic practice set, and I haven't even gotten out the super-nice boxwood ones yet.

But - are there any more advanced things I can try? Different sounds from the basic clacking, maybe? (I am working on that on zills right now, which is a very humbling experience.)

Anyways, I find that spoons are mighty fun toys ;-)

spoons are fun!

i was fortunate enough to have a turkish spoon lesson with artemis at the last tribal fest.

she said to play the regular zill patterns and that improving complimentary rhythms to the music is what its all about.

Ah, thanks! Sounds as if I am on the right path.

At Pennsic, I had a brief lesson from an musician friend who has a reputation of being good with spoons: He showed me how to hold them and then said - now just do it! I am a tad wobbly with the control of the thumb spoon, but that seems to be a matter of practice.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Turkish spoons! I love them and have been playing them for several years. You can play any zill pattern with them, but playing the spoons is a folk dance and usually a basic longha pattern is the norm or fallback pattern.

Have fun!

but dont forget if any Turkish folk teacher sees that you are performing belly dancing with spoons, they might warn you that those are for specific folk dances like Silifke...etc.
I love them too...I am planning to get some this year from my friends folk group and add it to a special show where I can where some customized folk costume

Yeah, I know - no belly dancing with spoons outside of the privacy of my own home ;-) Spoons are for taking a break and sitting with the band for a little while ;-)

I play them in the Turkish restaurant I dance in and the Turkish chef comes out of the kitchen and plays too.We do duets-goes down a storm. He tends to play set rhythms and the 123 longa and we do question and answer type rhythms as well as playing together.Ozgen-Turkish male dancer is doing a spoon workshop at the JOY Festival in the UK in October and I will be interested in hearing what he has to say about them.Will report back. No Turkish person has ever complained that I've played along to pop stuff in the restaurant but I do know that it is really folkloric and area specific. people are usually really interested in them and I get children to have a go which they enjoy.

Hi all :)
Just uploaded a video from our May show dedicated to old greek chifteteli style and greek karsilama's.
The second song is danced with spoons in the greek style way.

Maria Aya, Greece
Oriental Expression

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHyl7R6wzgs]YouTube - Oriental Expression, Chifteteli Show 2[/ame]

Where can one order 2 pairs of the long handled turkish spoons? I haven't found any. Thanks

This is in the UK but I'm sure she ships worldwide.
Hilary Thacker - Belly Dancing in the UK
I got my spoons from her.She sells short and long handled spoons and wooden or plastic

thanks, i've looked and looked and finally found short and long! thanks again