Berimbau rhythms
Any berimbau rhythm consists of the next notes:
Chiado – a buzz sound (strike the arame with the dobrão resting lightly on the arame and the cabaça against the body to deafen the sound).
Solto – a low tone while we don’t press the stone and hit arame below the stone, place cabaça away from the stomach.
Preso – a high tone, the dobrao is pressed firmly to the arame, hit the arame above the stome while place cabaça away from the stomach.
Caxixi – no berimbau sound, this sound skipping is filled with caxixi sound.
Dobrao (dobrão) – a stone slightly attached to the metal string, no arame hit.
Typically, there are 4 rhythms used in capoeira: Angola, Benguela, Sao Bento Grande de Regional’s (or São Bento Grande de Bimba) and São Bento Grande de Angola. However, there are much more.
There is a list of main capoeira rhythms in the table below:
Rhythm name | Music | Sound |
Angola | ![]() |
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Benguela | ![]() |
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Regional de Mestre Bimba/Sao Bento Grande de Mestre Bimba | ![]() |
|
Sao Bento Grande de Angola | ![]() |
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Sao Bento Pequeno de Angola | ![]() |
|
Amazonas | ![]() |
|
Cavalaria | ![]() |
|
Idalina | ![]() |
|
Iuna | ![]() |
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Samba de Roda | ![]() |
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Santa Maria | ![]() |