Pandeiro Online
Pandeiro Online
Download Sound Files
Demonstrations of pandeiro
playing styles
Pandeiro Patterns
The following patterns and comments were culled from discussion on sambistas@tardis.ed.ac.uk email list
Notation
f finger tips
h heel of hand
t thumb damped, short high pitch tone, made by striking with the thumb while
pressing the middle finger of the left hand against the head from below
T thumb open, a distinct low pitch tone
S slap with hand flat, in middle of skin (always accented)
= trill, vibrating finger tips across skin.
Î twist flat to vertical and back to make jingles sound.
^ twist flat to vertical to make jingles sound
v twist vertical to flat to make jingles sound
* rest (silent)
From: pnet@proliberty.com
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 17:36:27 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: rhythms on the web
At 7:22 PM 9/21/98, Ian Heavens wrote:
>Certainly this is an FAQ, but - has anyone found reliable way of describing
>percussion rhythms in HTML?
Here is a bit more on some technical aspects of notation for samba.
What tempo means is how fast the rhythm is, measured in "beats per minute"
(bpm). You can see the first entry in the table for the Cafe example at
http://www.proliberty.com/music/pandeiro/Cafe16m.WAV - I have listed this
as tempo=130 bpm.
Time signatures are defined as:
"beats per measure" / "the kind of note that represents a 'beat'"
So 4/4 means: 4 beats to a measure; a quarter note (4) gets a 'beat';
2/2 means: 2 beats to a measure; a half note (2) gets a 'beat'
The main confusion is: what do you call a 'beat'?
The general definition is rather vague. A 'beat' is considered the 'basic
pulse' of the music. But what does that mean? Different people will dance
on different beats; some people may consider the surdo the 'basic pulse';
others will say it is the open thumb on every fourth beat of the pandeiro
pattern.
My own opinion, is that samba should be notated in 2/2 time - this is the
basic pulse of the surdo. The more common notation is 4/4 but both 2/2 and
4/4 are equivalent in terms of the number of quarter notes per measure, it
is just a question of where the rhythmic emphasis should be. When I listen
to samba, my body wants to move most naturally with the surdo. I am a bass
player, so that may just be my bias.
The important thing to keep in mind is the relationship between the surdo
and the pandeiro. Aside from minor embellishments, the surdo establishes
the basic 'pulse' which coincides with 8 fast notes played on the pandeiro:
pandeiro: T f t f T f t f
surdo: x
If we were to consider each surdo note a 'beat', and used the time
signature 2/2 or 4/4, where the surdo is playing half-notes, then, in order
to make 8 notes on the pandeiro equal to one half-note on the surdo, we
would notate each note on the pandeiro as an 16th-note (8 16th notes = 1
half note = one 'beat'; 2 'beats' per measure).
Furthermore, the harmonic movement of most songs establishes another 'basic
pulse', by usually changing harmony every measure (4 quarter notes).
If you look at any sheet music for bossa nova songs, for example, they are
always written in 4/4 time. You will hear the fastest instrument - usually
hi-hat on the drumset - played just like the pandeiro: in 16th notes. The
bass drum, just like the surdo, emphasizes the half-notes.
In some books on Brazilian percussion, they prefer to use the 2/4
time-signature. That makes sense from a percussionist's point of view
because then every measure coincides with the basic pulse of the surdo and
also a basic repeating pandeiro pattern is 8 16th notes = 2 quarter notes =
1 measure.
If we re-define "tempo" as "quarter-note beats per minute", it doesn't
matter if you use 4/4, 2/4 or 2/2: all are in agreement on how many
quarter-notes there are per minute. The pandeiro will play in 16th notes in
all cases. (In practice, however, sheet music never uses 2/4 since it would
make the chords and melody harder to read, since they move more slowly than
the percussion does.)
Although "beats per minute" should not be confused with "beats per
measure", the interpretation of "tempo" as "quarter note beats per minute"
has become the most common usage, since, for simplicity, every kind of
music tends to be written in 4/4 or 3/4 time, ignoring any real and
important differences in rhythmic practice. This is unfortunate, in the
case of samba, since the time signature no longer reflects the authentic
rhythm and most non-Brazilian musicians who play bossa nova music from
sheet music written in 4/4 will completely miss the essential features of
the rhythm, as a result.
But, in any case, I have adopted this common usage of "tempo" on the
pandeiro web page: an 8-beat pandeiro pattern is considered 2 "quarter note
beats" - if you count the number of basic patterns per minute, then
multiply by 2, you will get the tempo.
Having said all this, you may realize that it is not in agreement with the
notation that has been used in the online discussion:
> 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
> t f h f T f f t
The numbers we have been using imply 4 'beats' when there are really only
two "quarter-note beats" in a pandeiro pattern.
In spite of this inconsistency, I don't mind sticking with this notation
since otherwise it would be too difficult to refer to individual notes on
the pandeiro. To be technically accurate, this notation implies a
time-signature of 8/8, where each pandeiro note is an 8th note. In that
time-signature, the "tempo" in "8th note beats per minute" would be twice
as fast as I have indicated it and 4 times as fast as I can dance (the
basic surdo tempo)!
From: pnet@proliberty.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 13:37:03 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: pandeiro patterns
Last night I had my first pandeiro lesson from a brilliant Brazilian
drummer, Celso Alberti who plays with Marcos Silva and all the top
Brazilian people in the SF Bay Area.
While Celso was very apologetic that he didn't really play pandeiro, he
demonstrated a basic technique that got me started.
At 1:37 AM 9/14/98, Craig A. Thomas wrote:
>1o ritmo
>1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
>T ^ v T T ^ v T
This is the pattern that Celso taught me. It is very good for playing very
fast - easier than some patterns with f-h-s involved.
But, as an alternative to twisting the pandeiro, Celso demonstrated it by
keeping the pandeiro always flat and simply raising and lowering it to make
the jingles sound, instead of twisting. When you move the pandeiro in this
way, it is importand to always keep the right hand very close to the
pandeiro so that the timing of thumb beats will be exact: if your right
hand travels too far, while the pandeiro is moving downward, there is a
much greater chance that you will not be right on the beat.
This raising and lowering motion also has a bit different sound than the
twisting motion since all of the jingles sound more or less simultaneously
when they are moving parallel to one another, whereas the twisting makes a
louder jingle since the sound is more spread out.
The way I move the pandeiro is to keep the edge of my right hand in contact
with the rim while the left hand lifts, then the right hand pushes the
pandeiro down rather than using the left hand. This seems to give me better
control and it also balances the use of muscles between the two arms so
that your left arm/wrist will not tire so quickly.
The slower the tempo, the longer the distance you need to move the pandeiro
in order to create more time between jingles but, as you go faster, the
pandeiro moves less distance and the jingles become softer. I think this
may be the easiest technique for a beginner like myself to learn to play at
fast tempos.
From: "Craig A. Thomas" <cthomas@musicbeat.com>
Subject: pandeiro patterns
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 18:37:21 -0700
Há um ano que eu comecei de aprender o pandeiro e sou só um novato.
Acho que este instrumento é um dos mais dificeis na bateria.
Aprendi uns poucos ritmos do Carlos Aceintuno do grupo Fogo na Roupa.
Aqui estão os ritmos basicos:
1o ritmo
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
T ^ v T T ^ v T
2o ritmo
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
t ^ v t T ^ v T
3o ritmo
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
T ^ v S T ^ v T
4o ritmo
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
t f h f T f h f
5o ritmo
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
t f h f T T f T t f h f T f T f
No último ritmo você vai ouvir o compasso dos surdos do marcação tocado pelo
"t" e o "T".
From: "Christian Velasquez" <cvc@maxon.dk>
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 11:52:12 +0100
Subject: RE: pandeiro patterns corrected
Here are 3 samba patterns in order of increasing magnificence:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
t f h f T f f t
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
f h f f T f f t t f h f f T f t
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
f h f f T f T f t f h f f T f t
First time: t f h f T
Here is a funky pattern for rock and stuff like that:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
T T f h S f T T f T T h S f h f
or (f) (S)
The h -stroke before every slap is made by beating the pandeiro up against the heel of your hand and not vice versa. That gives you more time to make a good slap. The rest of the h -strokes are made as usual.
From: pnet@proliberty.com
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 16:22:13 -0700
Subject: Re: pandeiro patterns
I watched a video by Airto and as I recall he had a slightly different
technique: instead of using the heel of the hand, he would use the fingers
pads, striking the pandeiro in the center rather than at the edge to get a
different sound than when the tips of the fingers strike closer to the edge
of the drum.
The other thing that Airto emphasized was rotating the pandeiro toward the
hand, when the finger tips strike. This is the basic pattern Airto gave, as
I recall:
f = finger tips, at top edge of pandeiro (rotating drum toward fingers)
p = finger pads, at center of pandeiro
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
T f p S T f p t
In the book: "Brazilian Rythms for Drumset", by Duduka da Fonseca and Bob
Weiner, they give an example of a pattern noted:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
T f h F T f h F
This may sound fine, but it does not correspond to the audio recording they
provide on the CD, which was played by Cafe. On the recording, you can hear
a very distinctive SLAP on the 2+ beat. Cafe is playing the pattern very
fast and I don't think he is moving the pandeiro much since I can't hear
too much jingle.
It sounds more like this to me:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
T f h S T f h f
^
===============
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 12:34:22 +0100
From: Phil Smythe <phil.smythe@bt-sys.bt.co.uk>
Subject: re pandeiro
Strange things pandieros - when I first heard somebody playing one I
thought "That sounds good" and "I can do that!" so I asked to borrow it to
try and, of course, found myself looking silly when I could get neither the
rhythm or the sounds. Those who can make it look easy have spent MANY hours
practicing. It helps to be somewhat obsessive (if you dont have a pandiero
then a book or tray or a small cardboard box - or even your other hand -
can be used to try out the patterns).
So I started practicing and the next thing I noticed is how exhausting the
instrument can be to play - really! Compared to, say, a surdo it may be
light but after you have been holding it by your fingers with one hand
whilst bashing it with the other hand for just a few minutes you realise
you are doing an endurance test. So part of the practice experience
involves building up finger and arm muscles.
I play a Raul 10" pandiero with a plastic head. Not as heavy as a 12" and
more portable - but the range of sounds you can get from it are a bit
quieter and more limited. I'd like to try it out with a hide head if I can
find one. I have heard of a legendary instrument maker, I think in Sao
Paulo, who makes what are supposed to be Brazil's best pandieros - except
that he will not make one for anybody who he has not a) Met and b) Liked.
Top musicians nervously arrange to meet him. A great story but can anybody
confirm?
Here's my best attempt at transcribing 3 patterns taught to a group of us
by Dudu Tucci:
Partido Alto Pattern
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4
* S S t f t f t f S t S t t f
Drum Kit Pattern
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
T h S h T T S h T h S h T h S h
Biaon Pattern
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
t f h t f h S h
Pandeiro Instructors
Other Resources
-
sambistas@tardis.ed.ac.uk email list
To subscribe, send message: "subscribe sambistas" to
Majordomo@tardis.ed.ac.uk
- "Musikbogen 2: Samba Und Sambistas In Brasilien" by Tiago
De Olivera Pinto & Dudu Tucci, 1992.
German language. This book covers all the other samba instruments. Includes
musical notation of rhythms, photos, technical diagrams. Comes with an audio tape.
- Airto Moreira: "Afro-Brazilian and World Beat Rythms for Percussion" (DCI Music Video)
Excellent demonstration of basic pandeiro technique. Many other instruments also covered: surdo, tamborim, cuica, etc.
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