Samba Instruments

You will find different samba instruments that people make use of to go with the dance movements. These are generally percussion instruments that make soulful melody and rhythm ideal for the dancing actions of this well-liked Brazilian dance. The primary instrument is the Surdo. It is a double-headed drum that is played using a large padded beater called the baqueta. The players soften the sound with the first beat using their hand and then the second beat will be an accented one. The Surdo gives the two-four rhythm. If there are more players that would be added, there will be several surdos that will be used as well.

Samba Instrument Names

Surdo: - The surdo is a large double-headed drum which is played with a large padded beater or baqueta, while the weak hand is used to muffle the sound and provide a rhythmic guide for the player.

Tamborim : Specifically an instrument played in Rio samba, the tamborim is a small single- headed hand 4" drum that can be struck with a thin stick to produce a sharp timbre.

Caixa : The caixa is a double-headed snare-type drum which is played with two sticks.

Malacacheta : The malacacheta is a double-headed snare drum that is played with two sticks.

Pandeiro : The pandeiro is the Brazilian equivalent of the classical tambourine and is the national instrument of Brazil.

Cuica : The cuica is a single-headed Brazilian friction drum, in which sound is produced by rubbing a short, thin, carved bamboo cane attached to the membrane on the inside of the instrument.

Agogo : The agogo is a double or triple cone-shaped bell played with a metal or wooden stick.

Reco-Reco : The reco-reco is a scraper which produces sound by drawing a metal rod across the corrugated grooves of one or more metal springs.

Ganza : The ganza is another type of shaker. It is an aluminum cylinder filled with beads or gravel.

Timba : The timba is usually played with two hands. It is designed as a light weight conga, or "atabaque" for parading.

Apito : The apito is a short high-pitched whistle with one, two or no finger holes.

Samba Instruments Surdo

Surdos can be made from large plastic or metal containers - think bins, water butts, large storage drums etc. Metal or plastic bins with drum skins attached work well. You need 3 distinct bass levels - a low, a mid, and a high. Surdos comprise the back line of the band, keeping time and providing a cracking bass beat. It's worth taking time to get this right early. This is the big bass drum. Surdo in Portuguese means "deaf" or "deaf man". Surdos are the markers and timekeepers of the bateria. In Rio the low surdo is called Maracasao, the mid surdo is called Resposta and the high surdo is called Contra surdo or Repinique surdo.