Instrument of the Month
“Where I Came From”
This contemporary solo, entitled “Where I Came From”, was written in homage to Nana Vasconcelos. Vasconcelos is a Brazilian jazz musician and has performed with many well-known musicians, including Pat Metheny and Egberto Gismonti. This video shows some of the many sounds that can be created using the berimbau. Uploaded by Florian Bronk in January 2012.
Read MoreCreating the Berimbau
Parts of the Berimbau The berimbau consists of six main parts: verga or arco: the wooden bow, the largest piece of the instrument arame: the string or wire that is struck to make the sound cabaça: the hollow gourd, which acts as a resonator caxixi: the shaker used to add depth and texture to the sound dobrão or pedra: a smooth stone, held in the left hand and used to change the pitch of the arame baqueta: the thin stick that is used to strike the arame, creating the sound Each part is carefully selected and crafted to create the clearest tone possible. Let’s begin with the verga. Verga The verga is typically made from biriba wood, from which the berimbau...
Read MoreBerimbau: Capoeira’s Heart and Soul
Welcome once again to Slap Happy’s Instrument of the Month! Spring is upon us, and in Colorado that means that we have days of 80 degree sunshine sandwiched by blizzards and 30 degree rain. Even with the schizophrenic weather, this time of year always feels refreshing. It energizes me. And with that energy comes a desire to be outside, to play in the sun, to work up a sweat. This year, it also comes with a longing to be back in Sacramento training Capoeira with my friends at Agua de Beber. Because Sacramento is too far away to commute for training, I have dedicated April to the berimbau, the heart and soul of Capoeira music. This first video you will see is a short...
Read MoreDuo Ello: Stasi and Guello
Carlos Stasi and Luiz Guello make up the wonderful Duo Ello. The pair came to Lawrence a few years ago to work with the percussion studio, run some master classes, and finish the weekend with a performance for LU’s World Music Series. I had a great time learning from them, but it was their concert that really blew me away, turned me onto the pandeiro, and stuck with me years after they left our campus. As a duet, Duo Ello blends the classical, traditional, and popular styles of Brazilian music. Using traditional instruments (berimbau, pandeiro, reco-reco, etc) in often untraditional ways, they give a unique sound and energy to an already energetic style of...
Read MorePandeiro vs. Tambourine
Pandeiro, when translated literally, means tambourine. Like the common orchestral tambourine, it is a frame drum with a head on one side and jingles all around the frame. There are, however, some very important differences between the two instruments. Head The head of the pandeiro is traditionally made of animal skin, such as goat- or calf-skin, but can also be made using a synthetic head. The pitch of the drum can be changed by using pressure from the player’s finger on the head itself: pressing into the head will raise the pitch, and releasing the head will lower it. The specific tuning of the open drum varies based on the preference of the musician playing the...
Read MorePandeiro: the first Instrument of the Month!
Happy October! One of the greatest things about being a percussionist is that there are literally hundreds of instruments that you get to play. You aren’t stuck playing the same instrument day after day after day, rehearsing the same standard orchestral excerpts, playing the same repertoire year after year. You can spend one hour practicing a classical marimba solo, the next hour on jazz drum set, and yet another hour playing with a pair of maracas. This is also what makes percussion so difficult. To be a really well-rounded percussionist, you not only have one instrument to work on, but hundreds. You have to multi-task: find common techniques among various...
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