What's the Best Samba Percussion Instrument for Me?

All Brazilian Percussion

Samba is a Brazilian style of music that’s heavily based on percussion. Samba-focussed percussion instruments are often played in groups where the various instruments complement each other but, since there are so many different kinds of samba instruments, and since some instruments even look the same, it can be difficult to find the one that best suits your style. To help you out, we’ve included the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Brazilian percussion in this Buyer’s Guide. If your question isn’t included, feel free to contact us!

1. Which Samba Percussion Instrument Do I Need?

Samba bands are usually made up of a large number of musicians who all have a dedicated role. A typical samba band features one or more surdos, caixas, tamborims, agogo bells, repiniques, timbals, cuicas, ganzas, chocalhos and pandeiros. The instrument that suits you best depends on your role in the band. Read on for more information.

If you’re not sure which ‘role’ you want to play or if you’re not part of any band, smaller samba instruments like ganza shakers and agogo bells are always nice to have.

All Samba Percussion Instruments
Ganzas
Agogos

2. Which Percussion Instruments Form the Core of a Samba Band?

The surdo is the beating heart of samba. Surdos have the same function as the bass drum in any standard drum kit and are played using one or two drumsticks. It’s worth noting that some samba bands are composed of multiple surdo players, and that instruments like the rebolo, the slightly bigger tan-tan, and the timbal look a lot like a surdo. In reality, these instruments are essentially samba-style toms.

Surdos
Rebolos
Tan Tans
Timbals

3. Which Other Instruments Are Used in a Samba Band?

Caixa: Brazilian snare drum; typically used to play variations and solos.
Tamborim: small frame-drum; usually 6” in diameter and used to play rhythms and variations. Samba bands may include multiple tamborim players.
Repique de Mão: looks like a repinique, sounds more like a conga. This instrument strongly resembles the tambu used on Aruba and Curacao.
Pandeiro: the Brazilian tambourine; unlike the similar-looking tamborim, pandeiros feature jingles.
Ganza shakers, triangles, chocalhos and reco-recos: in terms of their role, these instruments can best be compared to the cymbals of a drum kit. Reco-recos are a lot like the more popular guiro and guira but often pack a little more volume.
Cuica: a unique instrument that’s not only commonly used in samba but in styles like pop, rock and reggae.
Agogos: another essential samba instrument. Agogos are basically double cowbells and originate from Africa.
Apito: a powerful instrument for surdo or repinique-playing band leaders. By playing certain ‘signals’ using this samba flute, you direct the band to transition to a different rhythm.

Caixas
Tamborims
Repique de Mãos
Repiniques
Pandeiros
Ganzas
Triangles
Chocalhos
Reco-Recos
Cuicas
Agogos
Apitos

4. What’s An Easy Samba Instrument for Beginners?

If you’ve never played any rhythmic instruments before, it’s best to get a feel for rhythm before you start playing something like a caixa or pandeiro. Since these instruments require a fair bit of skill, you’ll want to start out with a relatively easy-to-play instrument.

Ganza shakers are perfect for beginners, but keep in mind that samba and bossa nova rhythms certainly aren’t the easiest to play. Other beginner-friendly instruments are the surdo, repinique, repique de Mão, triangle and agogo bells. Again, make no mistake: samba rhythms can be challenging regardless of the kind of instrument you’re playing.

Tip: Practise daily and at a tempo that allows you to play without making any mistakes.

Ganzas
Repiniques
Surdos
Repique de Mãos
Triangles
Agogos

5. What’s the Difference Between Ganzás and Maracas?

Maracas were originally made by Indian tribes indigeneous to Brazil and the Caribbean area and are mainly used in Latin and Caribbean styles of music - and not in samba.

Ganzá shakers (or simply ‘samba shakers’), on the other hand, are a staple of Brazilian samba and are used for adding undertones to the sound.

Maracas
Ganzas