Instruments of Batucaxe

Instruments
Batucaxe Community Group

Traditional Afro-Brazilian percussion ensembles inspire the music we play, and the instruments we use. We perform traditional and contemporary Brazilian styles, but we also translate music from West Africa and around the world onto these instruments to build our own sound.

Surdo. The surdo is the heartbeat of the bateria, and the foundation. It is a big metallic cylinder with heads on both ends and is played either with two mallets, or with one mallet and one hand which acts as a muffler.

The surdo family has three members: the first and second surdos alternate open and muted attacks, marking time for the entire bateria; the third, or cutting surdo, is higher pitched and adds drive and swing.

Caixa/Malacacheta. The caixa and malacacheta are both types of snare drums, differing in size and depth. They are metallic cylinders with heads on both sides, and snares across the top head. Both are played with two wooden sticks, sometimes hanging from a shoulder strap, sometimes propped on the player's shoulder. The strike and roll patterns of this section define the samba of each school.

Caixa

Repinique.This instrument was introduced in the bateria in the 50's. The "little surdo" is a cylinder, with two nylon heads, played with one bare hand and a wooden stick, or in some styles with whip-like wood or nylon sticks for an intensely cutting sound. The repinique signals breaks and changes for the bateria. It can also be used for intense, aggressive solos that fire up the audience.

Tamborim. The tamborim is a small wood or metallic cylinder with a plastic head. It is played with a split stick of wood or plastic, designed to create a distinctive flam. It can be quite aggressive and cuts through the bateria with complex, intricate "desenhos" that show off the section. For quieter styles the tamborim can be played with a stick and with the fingers of the other hand.

Tamborim

Agogo, Ago-go

Ago-go.The ago-go consists of two or more metal cones (bells) connected by a handle and struck with a wood or metal stick. The ago-go calls the clave beat in many styles. In the 50s it was introduced in the samba schools, with instruments sometimes featuring as many as five bells for added color.

Ganza and Chocalho. The ganza is a long shaker with shells, beads, or seeds inside.

The chocalho is a very powerful shaker consisting of a series of steel jingles.

Both instruments provides a fundamental swing to the bateria and help unify the rhythms of the other instruments.

Cuica. The cuica is one of the signature sounds of Brazilian music. It consists of a metal cylinder and a single head to which a wooden rod is attached. Sound is made by rubbing a wet cloth, sponge, etc, up and down the rod, and the pitch can be varied by pushing on the head. Its palette includes sounds from plaintive wails to shrieking laughter, and it can be heard soloing or playing rhythmic highlights in the Carnaval bateria, pagode groups, and in many other styles.

Timbal. The timbal is a conical metal or wooded hand drum with a tunable nylon head. Though it is played in a similar style as a djembe or conga, its sound is crisper and more cuttings. The timbal's ancestry traces to the atabaque drums of candomblé rituals, and its use in modern styles traces immediately to Carlinhos Brown and the group Timbalada of Bahia, Brazil.

Zabumba

Zabumba. The zabumba is a large, double-headed drum that provides both a bass tone and a stick tone.

The zabumba is featured in styles from Brazil's Northeast, such as forro, and can provide a lighter touch than a rank of surdos.

Pandeiro. The pandeiro bears similarity to the tamborine, consisting of a rim, a head, and metal jingles. However, its head can be tuned and its jingles are drier than a tamborine's, enabling swift, complex and subtle rhythms.

Typical pandeiro patterns are played by alternating hits with the thumb, fingertips, heel, and palm of the hand. It can also be shaken to make a dry jingle, or one can run a finger along the head to create a "rasp" noise.

Timbal

Berimbau. The berimbau is a single-stringed instrument which can produce an incredibly varied number of sounds. It is a central instrument to the martial art/dance/game of capoeira and makes appearances in innumerable performances and recordings today as well.

The berimbau is played by striking the string with a stick, and the pitch can be varied by touching a rock to the string to change its mode of vibration. A "caixixi," or small basket shaker, is held along with the stick to produce an added rattle as the string is struck.