How many instruments are in the us?

Answer 1

These instruments are used for samba. Other Brazilian styles of music such as Maracatu or Samba Reggae use some different instruments.

Bateria samba (big percussion groups) use the following

Melody

Cavaquinho - like a eukelele

Guitar - often a 7 string guitar

Mandolin

Bass section

Surdo - big bass drums, holding the beat. There are usually 3 different sizes with different tuning to allow the band to create complex bass rhythms. Normally metal surdos are used for parades as they are sturdy, but wooden drums sound great on stage, especially with natural heads.

Middle section -

Caixa - these are the snare drums and are not the same as European snares, having a different arrangement of the snare and a much dryer sound (and they are lighter - should be made of aluminum so they can be carried easily)

Repinique (Repique) - Kettle drum - used simply to support the beat, with a few soloists providing complex patterns and leading the band in and out of the music

All these big drums are best made of aluminum.

Percussion section

Tamborim (Pl. Tamborins) - a six inch circular frame drum with no jingles, hit by a flexible plastic stick, best made of metal and with a nylon head

Agogo - a double metal cowbell with the 2 bells tuned differently and a flexible handle to allow the player to tap the bells together

Ganza - a cylindrical shaker

Chocalho - a large metal shaker with jingles - described by the Times of London as being "a cross between an abacus and a tambourine"

Cuica - a hollow metal friction drum, with hide head holding a stick inside the drum which is rubbed by a damp cloth to produce a series of squeaks and groans.

Other less common instruments include the Frigideira (musical frying pan), reco reco (metal scraper) Agogo de quatro (4 belled Agogo) Cymbals (hand held but only worth including if you have over 200 drummers), Pandeiro -(for visual effect as nobody can hear it)

Small samba groups are different. Any mix of the instruments below is possible. The essential instruments are voice, cavaquinho and pandeiro.

Cavaquinho

Guitar

Pandeiro - looks like a tambourine; frame drum with jingles

Tamborim - for small groups a wooden 6" tamborim with hide head is best, hit with a wooden stick

Tantan - bass drum held over the lap and played with one hand whilst the body is tapped with the other hand

Repinique de Mao - hollow metal drum with a nylon skin at one end

Agogo (see above)

Ganza (see above)

Surdo - to hold the basic beat