Category
page 1Brazilian percussion

berimbau
The berimbau (, borrowed from Kimbundu mbirimbau) is a traditional Angolan musical bow that is commonly used in Brazil. It is also known as sekitulege among the Baganda and Busoga. It consists of a single-stringed bow attached to a gourd resonator and is played with a stick and a coin or stone to create different tones and rhythms. The berimbau was used in many parts of Africa and Brazil during the 19th century to accompany chants and storytelling. It is part of the candomblé tradition, later incorporated into the Afro-Brazilian art capoeira. Until the mid-20th century, it was used almost excl
shekere
The shekere (from Yoruba Ṣẹ̀kẹ̀rẹ̀) is a percussion instrument consisting of a dried gourd with beads or cowries woven into a net covering the gourd. There are multiple ways to produce sounds with the instrument. It can be shaken or hit against the hand. The instrument can also rest in the palm of one hand while other hand holds the handle of the gourd. A twisting wrist motion is used so that the gourd moves while beads remain in place causing friction and sound different than when the instrument is simply shaken or struck. The shekere originated in Yorubaland in West Africa, which comprises t
agogô
An agogô () is idiophone bell percussion instrument. With origins in West African music, it is now commonly used in traditional and popular Brazilian music. Agogôs are typically made from two cone-shaped pieces of metal with different pitches.
pandeiro
thumb|3D model
The pandeiro () is a type of hand frame drum popular in Brazil. The pandeiro is used in a number of Brazilian music forms, such as samba, choro, coco, capoeira, and bossa nova music.
cuíca
The cuíca () is a Brazilian friction drum with a large pitch range, produced by changing tension on the head of the drum. Cuíca is Portuguese for the gray four-eyed opossum (Philander opossum) which is known for its high-pitched cry. The cuíca is frequently used in carnivals, as well as often in samba music. The tone it produces has a high-pitched squeaky timbre. It has been called a 'laughing gourd' due to this sound. The General MIDI drum kit provides cuíca sounds at the notes F5 and G5.

atabaque
right|thumb|300px|Drumming on an atabaque
The atabaque ( , , ) is a tall, wooden, Afro-Brazilian hand drum, similar to conga.

surdo
right|thumbnail|Surdo drums in use in Michael Jackson's "[[They Don't Care About Us" video.]]
The surdo is a bass drum or a large floor tom-like drum used in many kinds of Brazilian music, such as Axé/Samba-reggae and samba, where it plays the lower parts from a percussion section. The instrument was created by Alcebíades Barcelos during the 1920s and 1930s as part of his contributions with the first samba school in Rio de Janeiro, Deixa Falar. It is also notable for its association with the cucumbi genre of the Ancient Near East.
caxixi
A caxixi () is a percussion instrument consisting of a closed basket with a flat bottom filled with seeds or other small particles. The round bottom is traditionally cut from a dried gourd. The caxixi is an indirectly struck idiophone. Like the maraca, it is sounded by shaking. Variations in sound are produced by varying the angle at which the caxixi is shaken, determining whether the contents strike the reed basket (softer sound) or the hard bottom (louder, sharper sound).
Caxirola
The caxirola () is a Brazilian percussion instrument created by Carlinhos Brown and consisting of a closed plastic basket with a flat-bottom filled with small synthetic particles, in an attempt to create a sustainable product. It was based on the caxixi, and thus it is also an indirectly struck idiophone, sounded by shaking. The caxirola was certified on September 27, 2012, by the Brazilian Ministry of Sports and was created to be the official musical instrument of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. However, it was not allowed inside stadiums of both the World Cup and the 2013 FIFA Confederati
repinique
A repinique is a two-headed drum used in samba baterias (percussion ensembles). It is used in the Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo Carnival baterias and in the baterias of Bahia, where it is known as repique. It is equivalent to the tik-tik in the non-Brazilian drum kit or to the tenor drum in marching bands. It is tuned very high to produce a tone that cuts through the sound of the rest of the bateria and is used as both a lead and solo instrument.
timbau
The timbau or Brazilian timbal is a membranophone instrument derived from the caxambu drum, usually played with both hands. Slightly conical and of varying sizes, it is usually light in weight and made of lacquered wood or metal (usually aluminum) with a tunable nylon head. It is in the shape of an ice cream cone with the top and the point cut off.

ganzá
The ganzá () is a Brazilian rattle used as a percussion instrument, especially in samba music.
zabumba
A zabumba () is a type of bass drum used in Brazilian music. The player wears the drum while standing up and uses both hands while playing.
thumb|
The zabumba generally ranges in diameter from 16 to 22 inches, and is 5 to 8 inches tall. The shell is made of wood and may utilize either skin or plastic drum heads and is usually tensioned via metal lugs and tension rods. The top head is usually muted with tape or cloth strip(s) and struck with a cloth-covered mallet (held in the right hand) to produce a low fundamental note with minimal overtones. The bottom head is tuned tighter and is struck wi

tamborim
A tamborim ( or ) is a small round Brazilian frame drum, developed from other similar percussive instruments brought by the Portuguese.
apito de samba
Apito, which is the Portuguese word for "whistle", refers to any of a variety of whistles.
tan-tan
thumb|Tan-tan
A tan-tan is a cylindrical hand drum from Brazil that is used in small samba and pagode ensembles. It imitates the big Surdo which is played by the famous samba baterias (percussion ensembles). But due to its smaller size the tan-tan is not as loud as a surdo and so it is played rarely in big samba schools, but rather within closer gatherings of musicians called Rodas do Chôro.
Alfaia
thumb|Different sized Alfaias|right|250px
afoxé
The afoxé (also known as the cabaça or cabaca) is an Afro-Brazilian unpitched percussion instrument in the idiophone family. It is composed of a hollowed vessel wrapped in a net through which beads or seeds are threaded.