The tamborins make up about 15% of the total 'ritmistas' in the bateria of an escola de samba. They are usually placed relatively far forward in the bateria (usually just behind the cuicas or chocalhos) and have a similar function to a brass section in a big band (to reinforce or play around melodies and lyrics with a fixed 'desenho'). In principle, however, the tamborins always introduce the first part of a samba with a so-called 'subida' (entrance), then support the rhythm with the carreteiro and only play less full lines and patterns in the second part of the samba.
In a bateria in Rio, the tamborim players make up about 15 per cent of all the ritmistas.
The tamborim is generally held in the weak hand at about chest height and played from above with the strong hand. In the pagode, the index or middle finger of the weak hand is often used to support the rhythm of the strong hand and occasionally to press on the head from below to raise the tone slightly.
In Rio Samba, the tamborim is spun on its axis with the weak hand using a very fast technique called carreteiro, and played with the strong hand both from above and below. There are 3 different turning techniques:
1) the traditional way (also called 'old turning technique' or 3-1)
2) dhe modern way (also called 'new turning technique' or 2-1)
3) the very rare 1 por 1 technique, which is also the basic technique of the Frigideira.
Another turning technique has been developed, the 2-2 technique, which is based on a double rebound, but is not yet a mainstream technique.
In the 3 por 1 technique, as the name suggests, you play three notes from the top of the tamborim and one note from the bottom, but the order of the strokes is as follows: The first note is simply played from above on the tamborim, the second also from above, but the tamborim is turned down and ends with the stick under the tamborim after the stroke. The third note is the inversion of the second, i.e. beating from the bottom up, again turning the tamborim, and the fourth note is again a simple one from the top on the head.
In the 2 por 1 technique, as the name suggests, two notes are struck on the tamborim from the top and one from the bottom, with the swing and flexibility of the whip producing two notes from the bottom. The first note is struck by turning the tamborim downwards, the second is struck from below, the third is struck almost automatically as the tamborim moves upwards, and only the fourth note is struck again simply from above.
The 1 por 1 technique is the easiest to understand, but certainly the most difficult to learn and play at high speed. You turn the tamborim with each note, alternating between hitting one from above and one from below.
The tamborim is a small frame drum with a diameter of 6 inches. For playing in the big samba schools, the frame is usually made of metal and the head is made of nylon, which is necessary for tuning the instrument. There are also tamborins with wooden frames. The tamborim is probably the only samba instrument that originated in Brazil. In samba de enredo or batucada, the tamborim is covered with a plastic skin, tuned very high and played with a plastic whip. When the tamborin was first created, these instruments were not round but rectangular and covered with natural skins. There is a story that all the cats disappeared from the streets just before the carnival because their heads were needed for the tamborins.
In the pagode or rodas de samba, you will occasionally find tamborins with natural skins that are played with wooden sticks. The basic pattern is the 'telecoteco' rhythm, which makes it possible to tell which of the two bars you are in. Occasionally 'carreteiro' is also played (see Techniques - Rio Samba).
To keep the nuts running smoothly and extend their life, apply a little oil to the threads with a cloth from time to time.
The tamborim in the Rio Samba is tuned very high, producing a sharp, metallic, high-pitched sound. Unfortunately, the high tension also means that the head breaks more easily than on other samba instruments and needs to be replaced. Tamborins with a high frame are often tuned a little lower, so that the sound has less 'pock' and more 'plop', which is particularly popular with those who play the old 3-1 technique.
In the pagoda or in a roda de samba you will find tamborins in a variety of tunings. A slightly lower tuning makes it easier to play variations by dampening the inside of the head with your fingers.
For Pagode and Samba de Roda you can use any wooden stick. In Rio Samba, the tamborim is played with a plastic whip with 1-7 plastic sticks. For the 'new' 2:1 turning technique a rather soft and therefore short whip with 5-7 sticks is recommended, for the 'old' 3:1 turning technique and the very rare 1:1 turning technique a somewhat harder whip with 1-3 sticks is recommended.
In samba de enredo or batucada, the tamborins are always fitted with plastic heads. These days they are also made a little thicker, which increases their short life span. In the Pagode and in the Rodas de Samba you can occasionally find tamborins with natural skins. These are not tuned as high and are played with a wooden stick.
Tamborins
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