Unleash your inner Zillstar...
Banish finger cymbal confusion and overwhelm and find confidence and creativity in your zill playing now.
Welcome to The Finger Cymbal Revolution - the most comprehensive, game-changing online finger cymbal membership in the world.
The Finger Cymbal Revolution is currently closed.
Get on the waitlist here to be the first to know when the doors open again.
Frustrated with moving and zilling at the same time and just don't know what to do to improve?
Ready to feel comfortable and confident playing and dancing with your finger cymbals?
Interested in taking your zilling to a new level - totally rockin' out and even playing your own zill solo?
Don't sit on the sidelines or break out in a sweat when it is time to play and dance with your zills! Unleash your inner zillstar and make music with your cymbals now.
The finger cymbals are an ancient and integral part of belly dance. Stop feeling like an imposter because you can't play these beautiful instruments well.
Join the wave of dancers worldwide who are embracing this beautiful and ancient art form and finding confidence, creativity and community in the process.
Welcome to
The Finger Cymbal Revolution
a revolutionary & game-changing membership exploring the wonderful world of finger cymbals!
Go where most zillers never go and explore the many facets of the incredible music instrument in your hands! The Finger Cymbal Revolution will help you understand your zills in a whole new way - making you a stronger and more confident dancer all the way around.
On Demand Classes
Live Interactive Classes & Experiences
Insightful Private Q&A Sessions
Expert Interviews
An Exclusive Community
200+ hours of
finger cymbal content
What you will learn:
- Sound exploration
- Music Theory
- Riffs and Patterns
- Drills
- Acapella Zills
- Dance Combinations
- Discussions & Interviews
- And more!
The Finger Cymbal Revolution is currently closed.
Get on the waitlist here to be the first to know when the doors open again.
"I remember watching Sahira playing a few months ago and thinking - WOW, so many different sounds, it must be *really* hard to play like this. Now it seems possible."
- Rubi
"Learning to pair zills with dance moves really tuned me into the musical pattern of the moves themselves and made me much more aware of timing and transitions In a brand new way! This will definitely help my non zill dancing too.
One of the big motivations for delving into zill practice is that I realize how great it is for enhancing musical understanding and awareness for dancing, and that’s really cool! "
- Jennifer
The Finger Cymbal Revolution is a proven method of zill learning that can make even the most zill-shy dancer feel comfortable and confident with their cymbals.
"I wanted to personally thank you for this community, I was so intimidated by Zills but you provide a way for me to better understand the mechanics of playing and I actually look forward to my practices now, still have a long way to go but I definitely do not feel intimidated any longer so again THANK YOU!"
- Nicole
Become the Zillstar you are meant to be!
The membership is already full of zill drills, patterns, sounds, technique, theory and combinations to keep you dancing for months, and new material is added for you on a regular basis!
Maybe you're already a huge zill geek (like me!) or maybe you are a bit more hesitant in your affection. Either way I am here to give you the concrete resource you need to become confident with your zill playing no matter what your current level.
In this membership you will move beyond the basic four sounds and explore an entirely new world of Rishes, Frills, Patty Cakes and Chomps. You will geek out with funky beats, ambidextrous playing and syncopation that makes your booty shake.
And it's not just about the music. With this membership you get exclusive access to expert interviews, the first look at new finger cymbal choreographies and challenges, as well as a huge community of fabulous dancers looking to grow their zill skills and support YOU in your journey.
Hey there! I'm Sahira.
I've been a musician for the last 39 years and a dancer for 24. When it came time to teach my students how to play the finger cymbals I quickly realized that the off-handed "just put them on and play this" way that I was taught decades ago was not going to work.
So I drew from my musical training and developed a method of teaching finger cymbals that starts from the ground up and takes it step-by-step so students can truly understand and digest music and their zills in a brand new way.
For the past decade, this method has helped hundreds of dancers all over the world find confidence, excitement and creativity in their zilling. The unique combination of deep musical knowledge, a type A engineering mind plus my love of laughter leads to classes that are clear, focused and fun - the perfect combination to help you get the results you crave in less time and with more joy!
The result? Dancers who LOVE the finger cymbals and understand music and they're dancing at a deeper musical level.
I have seen magical transformations in my students when they have the opportunity to learn at their own pace with on-demand content and then bring that knowledge into a live class setting to take the material further. The incredible speed and depth at which students learn with this hybrid system makes it the perfect way to level up your finger cymbal practice.
And beyond the technique and concepts learned, the connections and friendships that are created between dancers in the program are touching and transformative. I am just one small part of the motivational force here... YOU are the magical ingredient.
I would love nothing more than to help you find the same magical transformation in your zill playing.
First we make the music... and then we dance!
One of the many beauties of the finger cymbals is that we get to create as well as express the music.
We will zill with music and without.
Need a step-by-step look at the basics?
...I've got you!
Want to create your own zill solo while you dance?
... Let's do it! The sky is the limit!
Here's what waiting for you inside the membership.
When you join The Finger Cymbal Revolution you get immediate access to seven different constantly-growing finger cymbal courses, new monthly on-demand releases, interactive live classes and an incredible and supportive community.
Course 1 - Fabulous Finger Cymbal Basics
This is the place to begin your adventure if you are a newer finger cymbal player! Here you will be given a solid introduction to the artform - from choosing the perfect set of finger cymbals, to sewing in the elastic and playing your first sound and basic pattern.
Course 2 - Finger Cymbal Rhythms, Patterns and Sounds
This course contains instruction focused on zill sounds and rhythms - Everything from the four basic sounds to more advanced stuff that will really get your creativity flowing. You'll dive deeper into the most popular rhythms in the "Baladi, Saidi, Maqsum series" and learn rhythms in odd meters too. Inside this course you will discover the secrets that will take your zilling from basic to bombastic!
Course 3 - Zill Skills, Drills and Thrills
This course is home to many fabulous and highly focused zill drills for speed and dexterity that are the key to leveling up your skills. This is the "unsexy" work that member's know is essential to getting better, faster and stronger on your cymbals.
Course 4 - Finger Cymbal Theory - The When, Where, What and How
Inside this course is you will find more theory-based classes like a "Choosing what to play" and "Playing zills to pop music". This course is a deep-dive into the behind-the-scenes theory that will give you the key to understanding WHEN and WHERE to play within the music, WHAT to play and HOW to choose patterns musically.
Course 5 - Finger Cymbal Riffs and Combinations
This is the home for dozens of acapella riffs and combinations. Ready to learn and play with some fun and funky zill riffs with dance combos? This course is where to go!
Course 6 - Finger Cymbal Fun - Expert Interviews and Zill Reviews
Expert interviews, zill review videos, as well as behind-the-scenes tours at Saroyan Mastercrafts are here inside this course. So much fun and totally inspirational!
Course 7 - Acapella Finger Cymbal Foundations
This revolutionary course is a must-have for any dancer looking to take their zills into the realm of acapella zill solo work! You will learn the foundational building blocks of creating your own patters so you can eventually design your very own zill solo to dance to WITHOUT music!
"A reason that I love learning zills with Sahira is that she helps me break it down in a way I'll understand and she's also helped me come up with things I never thought I could do before, not just with the music, but also while dancing. Before you know it, you're putting it all together. It's wonderful!!"
- Kelly
"My zill journey has begun. I bought the membership and ordered 3 sets of zills. I'm anxiously waiting for them. I ordered student zills and some to work in to. Can't wait. Now when I dance to my own drummer I can add zills! I'll always have music. You've inspired me. You are a treasure. Thank you. "
- Dey Lynn
"This has helped me so much! I had never done zills before.I was so happy to slowly learn how to count and how it lined up with the dance and all the different sounds you could make. By the first weekend, I could apply what I learned.I feel like I'll be much more confident this way and better with zills overall. Here's to a more confident belly dance experience!"
- Jaimie
The Finger Cymbal Revolution is currently closed.
Get on the waitlist here to be the first to know when the doors open again.
And that's not all!
The Finger Cymbal Revolution is a living, growing, interactive experience!
The Finger Cymbal Revolution uses the "flipped classroom" methodology being used at leading universities around the world. This allows you time to work with an digest each month's new learning material before we dive in and work on it together.
Every single month you will receive a brand-new on-demand tutorial designed to keep you moving forward in your cymbal practice.
Two weeks after that tutorial releases we meet LIVE on Zoom to work together on that material so you can ask questions, get personal feedback and connect with your fellow Revolution members.
This gives you time to work through the material at your own pace before we meet live so you can come with questions and feeling more confident to work through the material together.
Meet Nicole
I’d like to share a win as a zill newbie! I spent short practice periods this month to review the Fabulous Finger Cymbal Basics course inside the membership. Compared to where I was when I started, I feel much more comfortable with the zills now! I can even enjoy myself grooving and moving with them while practicing. Also, trying to pair zills with dance moves really tuned me into the musical pattern of the moves themselves and made me much more aware of timing and transitions in a brand new way! This will definitely help my non-zill dancing too.
✓ Over 200 hours of on-demand zill instructional courses including sounds, patterns, drills, rhythms, technique, combinations, theory, interviews, zill reviews, and more. I'm sharing with you everything I've learned inside my two-decades long zill practice from the essential foundations to the crazy sounds, riffs and performance ideas I am working on right now. ($1358 value)
✓ Monthly on-demand finger cymbal instructional video releases. Every single month there's new material to inspire and motivate you to put the metal to the metal and make music with me in new and creative ways. ($39 value)
✓ Live interactive Zoom classes. Because online classes with no instructor interaction can only take you so far - inside the Finger Cymbal Revolution you and I are hanging out together on a regular basis so I can really help you take your practice to the next level. ($20 value)
✓ Quarterly member clubhouse party events. It's not all work... we like to PLAY together too! ($100 value)
✓ Twice yearly showcase performance opportunities to keep you inspired and motivated to polish your latest project for the next big showcase. ($80 value)
✓ Access to a fabulous online community. This one is a total game-changer. There is nothing more powerful than a spectacular community of positive, encouraging and accepting dancers to keep you coming back for more! ($priceless)
Plus, when you join now you will receive these five bonuses to super charge your practice.
✓The 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Zill Challenges so you can experience again (or for the first time) the massive momentum created in these accelerated and hyper-focused 10-day finger cymbal learning experiences. ($395 value)
✓ A digital copy of Dawn Devine's incredible book - "Zills: Music on Your Fingertips." Dawn literally wrote the book on finger cymbals - everything from history, to manufacturing, playing them, dancing with them and caring for them - this book is an indispensable resource for the serious zill player. ($10 value)
The Finger Cymbal Revolution Membership brings you $2,002 in zill learning value for an incredibly low monthly price.
JUST $29/Month
The Finger Cymbal Revolution is currently closed.
Get on the waitlist here to be the first to know when the doors open again.
Plus, you'll be backed by a risk-free cancel anytime policy.
The Finger Cymbal Revolution is the most uniquely multi-faceted online finger cymbal program that gives you the step-by-step process you crave for your personal zill practice. Not only hundreds of hours of instructional content through many aspects of the art form, but also the personalized attention, live interactive opportunities and supportive community needed to maximize your success.
When you join, you will have immediate access to the 200+ hours of content already included in the membership, PLUS all the past monthly on-demand releases and the past year of live member event videos, the online community and a new member orientation to get you started in the best direction possible for your personal finger cymbal revolution.
If you don't feel totally excited and motivated by what you find there, you can cancel at anytime. There is no contract or commitment. You have nothing to lose and a beautiful world of finger cymbal inspiration to gain!
Frequently Asked Questions
"Now movements that would have been almost impossible for me to get on my own make more sense to me. With the zills I can finally feel the rhythm in my body."
- Janette
"Thanks to you I start playing finger cymbals again. You have also taught me that the excitement of loving your finger cymbals is the motivation for yourself and for others to learn more. Thank you."
- Suzzane
"The amount of attention and guidance I've received is unsurpassed by any other class that I’ve experienced to date. I love that you're always willing to patiently walk me through each and every step in order to help me learn."
- Corinna
The Finger Cymbal Revolution is currently closed.
Get on the waitlist here to be the first to know when the doors open again.