Berimbau
SambapediaTips and tricks
Maintenance
In order to ensure a long life for the berimbau stick, it is necessary to relax the berimbau after playing, i.e. to loosen the string again. This effort, although it significantly prolongs the life of the bar, is perceived by many as a nuisance, as tensioning the berimbau requires not only skill but also some strength for the inexperienced player. Once you have gained routine and practice in tensioning the string, this process can be completed in no time at all in just a few simple steps.
Tuning
The pitch of the berimbau depends first of all on the thickness and elasticity of the bar. A rigid bar puts more tension on the string, resulting in a higher pitch.
By bending the bar more strongly when tensioning the string, you can increase the fundamental tone of the berimba. The second way to change the pitch is to attach the calabash to the bar. The string attached to the calabash is passed over the string from below. To do this, press the string and bow together with one hand while sliding the calabash with the loop into the desired position. This divides the string into the upper, larger, freely vibrating part and the lower, short part, which only produces a dull tone.
In the modern Berimbau with tuning mechanism, the instrument is brought to the desired pitch by turning the tuning peg.
Dobrao
The pitch of the string can be changed by a semitone with the "weak" hand, i.e. usually the left hand, the hand that holds the bow vertically in front of the body. To do this, you hold the dobrão, a stone or metal disc, between your thumb and index finger and press on the string. This raises the fundamental tone by a semitone. Every barimba player has their favourite dobrão. Old coins, simple shims, stones or specially made metal discs with grooves are used.
Sticks
The thickness and texture of the baqueta, the stick with which the string is struck, have an influence on the sound. A stick made of hard wood provides a clear, defined attack, soft wood gives a warmer tone. Baquetas made from split bamboo are the most common. Particularly hard sticks are made from the wood of the massaranduba tree.
Caxixi
A small basket rattle, the caxixi, is inextricably linked to the berimbau. The rattle is held in the right hand, which holds the baqueta, and thus reinforces the rhythm.
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Play
Function in the group
The berimbau is the leading instrument in capoeira martial arts. By choosing the rhythms and playing speed, the berimba player determines the flow of the capoeiristas. Atabaque, pandeiro and agogo follow the berimbau. When the three berimbaus - gunga, médio and viola - play together, the gunga usually takes the lead, while the high-pitched viola has the opportunity to improvise.
In the past, when capoeira was still forbidden, the police would announce their approach by playing the rhythm 'Cavalaria'.
Techniques
The berimbau is held vertically in front of the body with the weaker hand, usually the left hand, with the arm bent. The index and ring fingers grip the stick above the calabash, while the little finger hangs under the string that connects the calabash and the string.
The point at which the stick hits the string is decisive for the tone formation. If you hit the string just above the string with which the calabash is connected to the string, or just above the stone when the stone is pressed, you will hear a clear, full tone.
To produce the snare tone, loosen the grip with your thumb and forefinger so that the Dobrao is held very lightly against the string. If the string is now struck, a strong snare tone is produced. The most difficult sound to achieve is the snare tone without the string being struck. To produce this sound, release the pressure of the dobrao on the vibrating string and remain briefly in a position in which the dobrao is still lightly touching the string. In addition to the two notes low and high and the two snares, there are also a number of effect sounds, such as the strike on the lower, short end of the string, as well as strikes on the wood of the bow or the calabash. In addition, there is the sound of the caxixi without striking the string with the stick.
You have an additional option for changing the sound by opening and closing the calabash opening. To do this, the berimbau with the calabash is moved horizontally towards or away from the body at belly height. If the calabash remains on the body with the opening closed, the sound is muffled; if the calabash is held far away from the body, the amplified sound of the string escapes from the opening. By quickly moving the Berimbau back and forth from and to the body, you can achieve a sound similar to the wah-wah effect of an electric guitar.