RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT
RIGHT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT

MIDDLE EDGE EDGE EDGE MIDDLE EDGE EDGE
MIDDLE EDGE EDGE EDGE EDGE EDGE

This rhythm is sometimes used in Puxada de Rede, and also near the end of contemporary rodas when they start to speed things up.
This is the basic beat, but if there is another drum the other will play variations which will make the rodas sound great!

RIGHT LEFT RIGHT (hand)
MIDDLE EDGE MIDDLE (hit on drum)

This is the basic maculele beat. It is usually played with many variations, more drums and a lot faster. But this is just an example so that you will be able to learn it.

The hit of the sticks comes in on the first two beats (in the verbal annotation).

VERBAL ANNOTATION:

LEFT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT (HAND)

EDGE EDGE MIDDLE MIDDLE EDGE EDGE MIDDLE (HIT ON DRUM)

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
DOUBLE RIGHT LEFT RIGHT DOUBLE
DOUBLE RIGHT LEFT RIGHT DOUBLE DOUBLE

EDGE MIDDLE EDGE EDGE MIDDLE
EDGE MIDDLE EDGE MIDDLE MIDDLE

This is a simple drum rhythm that is used all over the world.
The drum is not traditionally used in the traditional regional roda. It is used in mainly contemporary and angola rodas.

ANNOTATION:
RIGHT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT (HAND)
EDGE EDGE MIDDLE EDGE (HIT ON DRUM)

Remember not to go too loud with the drum, if you are playing the drum you must be able to hear the head berimbau clearly at all times. Otherwise you are playing too loud.
Remember the third note is the loudest out of all the notes.

AO PE DE MIM TEM UM VIZINHO
AO PE DE MIM TEM UM VIZINHO
QUE ENRICOU SEM TRABALHAR
MEU PAI TRABALHO TANTO
MAS NUNCA PODE ENRICAR
NAO DEITAVA NUMA NOITE
QUE DEIXASSE DE REZAR HA HA
AGUA DE BEBER…

Close to me there was a neighbour
Close to me there was a neighbour
that became rich without working
My father worked very much
but he could never become rich
their wasn’t a night where he laid
without forgetting to pray ha ha
water to drink..

Regional quadras generally tell stories or are used to give advice.
There are always many layers to songs such as these, where there are so many possibilities for intepretation that many a time have I thought one year a song means this, only to be told that it actually means something completely different. Then, two years down the track, be told that it means something completely different again.

This song is a very common quadra. Most quadras in regional range from 4 to 6 to 8 verses long. (not including the repeated verses). Thus within the short amount of communication they rely on references to the past, metaphors, loose intepretations, and deceptiveness to give the song its layers.

This song on the surface is singing about a man who was both jealous and annoyed with his neighbour for getting ‘lucky’ and becoming rich.
within the next layer, it is singing about the inequality that many of the brazilian people have to deal with and come to terms with in their everyday life.
within another layer, he is singing about the fake capoeirista, that may seem to stand proud and tall and all of his students may see him in a big light, yet he is really hollow inside.

within yet another layer, he is singing about humankind, how regardless of who you are, you will forever think the grass is greener on the other side, you will forever have obstacles and others that may feel like a threat, yet, regardless, you keep the faith, the faith in yourself to keep going, and keep ‘praying’ every night.

Just a few intepretations but I am sure you could think of many more.

When to come in

If you are playing with the pandeiro, when you enter into each line the timing of the entry interchanges.
the first line comes in on the first beat. (as you’ll notice in the video above).
The second line will come in between the first and second beat of the pandeiro, and so on so forth.

With the berimbau, its a bit tricker.
REGIONAL VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH DOM, TICH TICH DIM, TICH TICH DOM DOM DIM.
the first line begins on the first DOM, which is the third hit in the regional rhythm. Or sometimes (depending on your timing) can start on the first Dom in the second half of the regional berimbau rhythm.
The other lines that do not come in on those notes, come in in between the Dom and the Tich or the second and third hit.

POINTERS

Just a few things to point out:
1. Think about the tone of your voice. It is important to try and keep the structure of the tone. You may notice that on each bar there is a certain pitch that comes out, try and stick to it as much as possible.
2. Find the rhythm. Once you find it, it will be easy to know when to come in and out of it, but until you look, it is really hard to find.
3. Watch the pronounciations of the words. It is really easy to accidently change something and the word could come out completely wrong.
4. Pe in this context does not mean ‘foot’ it is a shortened way of saying perto, which means close.

Good luck, would love to hear your thoughts on whether these tutorials were easy to follow and if there was any suggestions on how to make them better.

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PANDEIRO TIPS

The first and second rhythm are the most common ways of playing the pandeiro in capoeira. The third rhythm is a basic rhythm some people use to teach beginners. It is also the traditional regional rhythm used and played in traditional regional rodas.

Just a couple of things to note:
1. watch the shake at the end, how the wrist is let loose and the shake is a beat in itself.
2. relax the hand.
3. the third beat is the one that has the most emphasis