CAN ANYONE BECOME MUSICAL?

But is everyone born to sway? is music something that is within everyones grasp? I believe so. For me, it is like being in high school again. The subjects I tended to like and be good at, were not because of the subject itself, rather it was how well I responded to the teacher that taught it. The better I fell in tune with the teacher, the more I liked the subject, the more I wanted to work at it, and the easier it was to learn. I believe music is very much the same. If you can find a teacher that can guide you through your own mind, anything is possible.

There are so many ways people connect; it is a teachers job to find those connections and use them to empower and encourage the student to believe they can do it, as well as being able to do it.

CHECK OUT THE TUTORIAL!

Within the small tutorial below, is a few variations on the instruments of capoeira. They are basic, and with each instruments three variations are provided from easiest to more difficult. I will endeavor to create more to help you find that inner rhythm, but for now this should help you get going. I am sorry if it is too easy/hard for some people to pick up, I am just trying to reach a broader scope of people, with what I have. I do not have a recording studio, nor a mic, so the sound is pretty deadpan, but hopefully I will be able to afford better equipment in the future. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know!

axe!

Chan Griffin.

This rhythm is called the hino da capoeira regional, or, the capoeira regional anthem.
Some people call this rhythm Santa Maria too.
This rhythm is highly subjective, and often changes subtly from group to group, from teacher to teacher.
This is they way that Formado Cacador from the Associacao de capoeira Mestre Bimba taught me.
Thanks Cacador!

I have broken it down into parts to make it easier to understand and learn.

In our academy, we usually play this rhythm at the beginning and the end of class.

Just a few pointers:

1. I believe the objective of this rhythm is for people to have time to reflect on capoeira from the past, present and future. It is to also help give time to pay homage to capoeiristas who have helped build the art.

2. Usually a formado or someone competent at berimbau will be assigned to play the rhythm. We usually all line up in order of rank facing a picture of Mestre Bimba.

3. Everyone will place there right hand on their heart, stand upright and reflect on capoeira whilst the berimbau plays the rhythm. When the rhythm is finished, the teacher will lift his hand from his heart and clearly say “salve!” Then, everyone in unison will follow by doing the same gesture and repeat, ‘salve!’.

4. They will call this the “saudacao” which means to pay homage. At the end of class before the saudacao, it is common for the teacher to talk and reflect about the class, and for the students to comment on the class. It is also an open forum for people to talk about certain events or things that are happening at the time.

Here is a breakdown:
H= High note, rock pressed on wire
L= Low note, rock not on wire, solto
T= Rock loosely pressed against wire, tich.

1st Part
L L / L L L L / L L L H L H
T T H H H H / H H H L H L

T T L L L L/ L L L L H L H
T T H H H H/ H H H L H L

2nd Part
T T L T T L / T T L H L H
T T H T T H / T T H L H L

3rd Part
T T L L L L/ L L L L L L
T T L L L L / L L L H L H

T T H H H H/ H H H H H H
T T H H H H/ H H H L H L

4rth part a.
T T L T T L / T T L H L H
T T H T T H / T T H L H L

4rth part b.
T T L T T L / T T L H L H
T T H T T H / T T H L H L / L L H L H L/
L L H L H L / L L H L H L / L L L H /

here is a video of Mestre Bimba playing the ‘hino’.
As you may notice it is played differently, but, what I find is important in all of the berimbau rhythms is to find the heart of the rhythm, the pulse. As long as you have the pulse the notes in between are just extra ‘flavours’.

This rhythm is the ‘hino’ de capoeira, the anthem of capoeira. In the associacao de capoeira mestre bimba, bahia brazil, we play this anthem before every class to pay homage to the mestres of the past, and of course mestre bimba. There are many variations that can be added, but it is generally played with a different timing than that of Apanha laranja no chao tico tico.

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM TICH TICH DOM DOM DOM DOM DIM
TICH TICH DIM DIM DIM DIM DIM TICH TICH DIM DIM DIM DIM DOM

Apanha laranja no chao tico tico

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH DOM DOM DOM DOM, TICH TICH DOM DOM DOM DIM
TICH TICH DIM DIM DIM DIM, TICH TICH DIM DIM DIM DOM

This rhythm can be vastly varied and is very similar to SANTA MARIA in the regional section.
However this is more of an angola toque, and is usually played in street rodas when the capoeiras are busking for money.

When they busk they collect money and then put the money either inside a bandana or just have the money in the middle of the roda. They then battle it out to try and get the money, but can only pick it up with their mouth.

they usually sing this song too:
Apanha laranja no chao tico tico
Se meu amor for si embora eu nao fico
Apanha com a mao ou com pe ou com bico

grab the orange from the ground tico tico (tico is the sound of the berimbau)
if my love went away I will not stay.
Grab it with your hand or your foot or your mouth

here is a video that loosely represents the game courtesy of bantus capoeira, belo horizonte brazil.

BARRAVENTO

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
DOM DOM NNN

(The NNN is when the pedra or dobrao is pressed against the wire but the vaqueta itself does not hit, it is in the act of pressing the dobrao on the wire that makes a note).

Barravento is the state just before a candomble follower will be taken over by a trance. It is the inbetween state.
The rhythm is not a traditional rhythm, I have only heard one mestre ever play it before, everyone else I have asked had never heard of it being played on the berimbau before.
The guy who introduced this rhythm to me played it a lot faster and better, but this will have to suffice for now until I can get better myself at this rhythm.

THE TOQUE DE SAO BENTO GRANDE DE ANGOLA

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH, DIM, DOM, DOM

The rhythm of sao bento grande is the most commonly used toque in the world. It is used in most contemporary rodas and also played on the viola in traditional angola rodas.
It is NOT a traditional regional rhythm, and is not within the seven toques of regional. It is a different rhythm with the same name.

Just a few things to note:
1. When using this rhythm in the angola roda, it is usually mixed with countless variations, this is the base of the rhythm, but it is moreso used to be able to understand the timing that is necessary with the other rhythms. Once you become proficient, you will hardly even play this rhythm with this structure, because of all the variations that are added in.
2. Remember to make the notes clear and precise, don’t forget to watch the timing of when the gourd is on and off the stomach.
3. Make sure you listen to the other berimbaus, remember the gunga is the soul of the orchestra, and is always the berimbau all other instruments should answer to. Don’t get carried away.

TOQUE DE SAO BENTO PEQUENO

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH, DIM, DOM, SHAKE

This is a rhythm that is usually played as an accomplice to the other three berimbaus in the angola orchestra. It is usually played on the medio berimbau and used to compliment the sounds. It helps maintain the rhythm but also plays with some variations.

Just a few things to note:
1. Remember, the tich tich on any of the rhythms are meant to be soft sounds, they are also not meant to reverberate. The tich sound is often the hardest note to master on the berimbau, so you must practice it!
2. Don’t forget the shake of the caxixi, it is a note in itself.
3. Don’t forget to make the notes crisp, make them all very clear of which note is being played, be precise of when you put the pedra or dobrao on and off of the berimbau, the timing of this is everything.
4. Remember to follow when you should put the gourd on and off the stomach.

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH, DOM, DIM, SHAKE

The ‘toque de angola’ is one of the most common played toques. Just a couple of things to note:
1. when you have your dobrao or pedra pressed on the arame make sure that when you take it off you simultaneously hit the bottom note with the vaqueta, otherwise you may make an extra note. Similarly enough, when you are going from the low to high note, you must only press the dobrao or pedra on the wire when you are about to hit the top note, not a moment before.

2. Remember the caxixi, the shake is important to keep the rhythm.

3. Make sure you watch the timing of when to place the gourd on and off of your stomach.

Stumble It!

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM DOM
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM

just remember the moving on and off of the gourd from the stomach is very important. It is crucial that you try and get the timing of this otherwise it will not sound the same.

In capoeira Regional, they traditionally used this rhythm to slow down the capoeira game for practice purposes. This game was almost like a pseudo-capoeira angola game.

There are a few ways I have been shown how to play this rhythm, however the one on this video is what I was shown in the Academy of Mestre Bimba.

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH DOM DIM SHAKE