How can I get a better sound out of the berimbau?

When am I allowed to take an instrument in the bateria?

Should I improvise on the atabaque?

Find the answers to these questions and many more in this list of tips I've picked up over the years.

General

• At the beginning of the roda, there is a typical order for the instruments to start playing. The berimbau(s) always start first; if there is more than one berimbau, the person leading the roda (often playing the gunga) starts first and sets the toque, and then the other berimbaus begin (médio next, and then the viola). Next to start playing are the pandeiros, and then finally the agogô, reco-reco, and finally the atabaque. In certain angola rodas, only the berimbaus (in some groups, the pandeiros as well) play during the ladainha; the other instruments enter during the louvação.
• If you want to play one of the instruments, it's good manners to offer (not demand) to do so. Try to catch the current player's eye and make a gesture (for example, point to yourself and pantomime playing the instrument). If they nod, go over and take the instrument from them. If they refuse, don’t take offense.
• In angola rodas, as well as some contemporânea rodas, instruments are only switched at the beginning/end of games, never in the middle. Be attentive to when members of the group exchange instruments.
• If you're playing an instrument and you want to hand it off, do the same thing: catch the eye of one of the players in the roda, and hold the instrument up to offer it.
• Switch only one instrument at a time; it gets chaotic and the music dies down if two or more people are exchanging instruments simultaneously.
• Just as you would watch out for your fellow players tiring in the roda, keep track of the bateria and take note of who's been playing for a long time. That way, you can offer to take instruments from someone who needs a break as opposed to someone who just started. This is also simple consideration; it can be extremely tiring to get "stuck" on an instrument forever when no one else is offering to play it.
• Most capoeira toques are in 4:4 time, with the exception of Cavalaria, which is in 6:8 (however, this toque is rarely used in rodas anymore).

Berimbau

• There are several ways to string a berimbau. It's easiest to get someone to show you the first time. Don't be discouraged if you have a hard time with it; it takes strength and practice!
• One way involves placing your knee against the middle of the verga, putting weight on it while pulling back on the top of the verga to bend it, then wrapping the wire around the top.
• I'm too uncoordinated to string the berimbau by the method above, so I prefer to place the bottom of the verga in front of my left ankle, step over it with my right leg, and bend the berimbau around the back of my right thigh. I pull the top of the verga with my left hand while wrapping the wire around with my right.
• The cabaça should not be much higher than one hand-span above the bottom of the berimbau. Squeeze the wire while you slide the cabaça on.
• Always unstring the berimbau when you're not using it. Your berimbau will last longer!
  
• Half the battle is holding and balancing the instrument... but all it takes is (a lot of) practice! Try a few exercises: holding the berimbau and moving it back and forth towards and away from your body, left and right, as well as tilting it side to side and forward and back, while attempting to maintain control.
• Don't be surprised if your pinky finger hurts and even goes numb for a couple days. It's normal, it'll go away, and with more practice your endurance will improve.
• There are three basic tones on the berimbau: the high tone (played with the dobrão pressed against the arame), the low tone (played with the dobrão not touching the arame), and the buzz tone (played with the dobrão touching the arame lightly). Each type of tone should be clean and distinct.
• Practice, practice, practice the buzz tone! Most people have trouble with it.
• Make sure to hit the arame above the dobrão for the high tone and buzz tone, and below the dobrão for the low tone.
• RELAX your shoulders and your hand while playing! It will help you get a better, louder sound.
• The berimbau is usually held away from your body when you play either the low or high tones, and against your body (cabaça pressed against your stomach) for the buzz tone. This helps you get a nice, resonant sound.
• Make sure to hit the arame with the baqueta straight on, and not at an upward or downward angle.
• Most of the impulse for moving the baqueta comes from your wrist - not your arm. If you move your arm a lot when you play, you'll have a very hard time when it comes to rhythms and variations.
  
• Relax your hand and let the baqueta bounce off the arame naturally. Don't hit and then pull the baqueta away.
• In angola rodas, each berimbau has a specific role. The gunga sets the main toque: let's say it's playing angola (tch tch dom dim). The médio will invert the toque and play São Bento Pequeno (tch tch dim dom) and the viola will improvise.

Pandeiro

• Start with the simple rhythm – rim-center-rim-(rest) – and work up in complexity. If you get lost, you can follow the "basic" rhythm of the atabaque, agogô, or reco-reco: 1-2-3-(rest), 1-2-3-(rest).
• When you hit the rim, use the side of your thumb, as though you were flicking something off of your hand. When you hit the center, use your whole hand.
  
• Did you know that you can change the tone of the rim hit? If you press the thumb of the hand holding the pandeiro against the instrument's skin, the rim hit has a higher tone; if you release that thumb, then the rim hit has a lower tone.
• It can be useful to train yourself to play pandeiro with either hand; this way you can switch off if you start getting tired while playing.
• Don't spank the pandeiro. Enough said.
  

Atabaque

• Relax your hands and shoulders in order to get the best sound out of the instrument.
• As with the pandeiro, the hit in the center of the atabaque should have a separate and distinct sound from the hits on the edge. The edge hits are deeper and hollower in tone; the center hit sounds higher and more "snappy."
• Don't bang away carelessly on the atabaque! This instrument has the potential to be played very loudly, but in the capoeira bateria, it shouldn't be. Thus, take care that you're not overpowering the berimbaus with the atabaque.
• The atabaque is the "heartbeat" of the roda. It must be consistent and solid in keeping the rhythm. In most angola rodas, variations on the atabque are discouraged.
• It's best if the atabaque rhythm never stops: this means that when the person playing the atabaque switches off, the new player must come in and start playing without missing a beat.

Agogô

• The sound of a metal agogô is high and sharp enough to be heard over all the other instruments, so STAY ON BEAT! If you have trouble staying on beat, follow the 1-2-3-(rest) of the atabaque, the pandeiro, and the reco-reco.
• Some groups play low-high-low and others play high-low-high on the agogô... you'll have to ask your particular instructor which way your group does it.
• You can improvise on the agogô, just make sure you stay in the general rhythmic structure.

Reco-reco

• The reco-reco is a pretty simple instrument and a good one to start out with if the idea of playing instruments intimidates you. The rhythm is the simple 1-2-3-(rest).
• You don't make all three scrapes in the same direction. I usually scrape away from my body on 1, towards on 2, and away on 3; this seems to be most natural and flows the best.
• One variation for the reco-reco is 1-2-3-4-5---6---