I had been playing for ten years when I made this video. If you practice basic skills shown here 20 minutes per day and practice slowly, very slowly at first then you will be playing well in a couple of months. If you practice at fast tempos you will develop bad techinique that you will carry with you from then on. Practice very slowly.
Just had a clinic with Rogerio Bocatto, and now I must learn to master this instrument. He could make it sound like an entire drum kit. Your video is also very informative. Thanks for sharing.
What a cool instrument. Nice demonstration too. It sounds like a complete samba rhythm section. I can see I need to buy myself yet another musical toy.
Just want to thank you so much for all your information here! I’m looking for an instrument to love and learn. I’m 63 and my boyfriend has and plays many kinds of drums and other percussion and loves getting together with others to jam with whatever instrument they wish to play. From watching several videos this morning, especially this of yours, I think I’m falling in love with the Pandeiro! Brazilian music (MPB, but really most all) is my go-to for listening..if I had to choose just one genre to listen to the rest of my life, that’d be it. You’ve been very helpful with your tips, advice and encouragement here, showing me a promising way for me to join in with the fun :) thank you!!! - Lynn
Muito bacana!!! Sensacional!!! Adorei!!! Fiquei copiando seus movimentos em um caderno de capa dura e me empolguei!!! Tchau, tô indo comprar meu pandeirooooo!
One thing I love about pandiero is that it is light and easy to carry. I used to carry it everywhere with me when I lived in New Orleans and got to jam with so many great musicians. It is like carrying a very small complete drum set with you. Djembes are generally very heavy and very loud and most people don't like you to accompany them when they are acoustic.
Thank you very much for this great video. I just got my first tambourine and have a lot to learn. I don't expect to get this good, but it is sure fun watching you play.
yea, I see clients in my home and have time when no one is around to play. That's the best way to improve, just have it at hand and play when you can. I first learned 10 years ago when I was in Brasil for three months and had plenty of time sitting on the beach in Bahia playing pandeiro. Keep at it and you will improve.
Pandeiro is traditionally played in Brazilian rhythms but is being adapted by many players of other types of music. You can make them up. It's music, have fun, be creative.
yeah i know.. I just mean I could actually play along until that point... so I need practice. It's a really clear video that I could follow from knowing nothing up until that point where I need to up my game!
Great breakdown of the rhythm. I'm practicing but have some way to go - for some reason I'm not quite getting it to swing - I keep coming back to this post - THANKS
For many people the hardest part of playing a pandeiro is holding it for any length of time. You will gain strength and learn how to hold it so your fingers don't hurt any more. My first teacher told me to carry my pandeiro around every day, holding it out in front just to gain strength. Now you can also practice the back and forth motion with the new style of playing.
superb video! thank you so much. I went from complete pandeiro noob to 2:10 then you lost me at 2:20. I will come back again and again to this video until I can do this convincingly! Thanks again.
I agree with you about use of the thumb. I find that the sound is better on skin heads tuned low, using the thumb and better on plastic heads tuned higher with the middle finger. A tip about holding the pandeiro. Get a small piece of that thin rubber stuff they put under rugs to prevent slip. Use it to keep the pandeiro from slipping in your hand.
Very nice!! Still don't have much of something that in brazil we name as "malemolência" or "molejo"... You know it's like playing more loose and relaxed.. Just swinging thru the rhythm... I think that's the way to get to the brazilian samba's real deal... But you're definitely giving some great lessons... I myself found really helpful... I play string instruments but im starting to get very interested on pandero too..
Good luck! I keep a pandeiro in my office and one in my bedroom and when I have a few minutes of waiting for something I pick it up and practice, every day.
@lucybrand Thanks for your insights and comments. I love the old samba recordings and listen to a lot of this. I guess thats why I prefer the older style.
There are different styles of playing. In this video I use the old style of playing which only twists the pandeiro when you want the jingles to sound. That gives you the swing in samba. I play the tones with my thumb only and don't rotate when I want a slap. In the more modern style, the pandeiro is twisted back and forth constantly but then you have to use your thumb and forefinger for the tones. The slaps can come anywhere whether rotating toward or away from you. Hope that helps.
@dnickason1 Thanks for your comment. You have picked some of the more challenging Brazilian instruments to learn, but keep at it, watching videos and getting lessons when available and you can become proficient at them. I am only a beginner at tamborim and cannot play cuica to save my life. Good luck and good playing.
Yes, you lift the pandeiro with your left hand so that the jingles come up and down again creating the extra jingle sounds. It is what the Brasilians like to call the swing. Hard to explain exactly what that is though.
@mefanictic Thanks for your comment. Not everyone plays in the Marcos Suzano style. I learned this old fashioned way of playing and for me it is fine. One thing I don't like about Suzano style is that it becomes to full, too busy. I like the old style of playing better but I realize it is not for everyone. To each his own.
@48jeanmarie Yea I have a 12" also. I only use if for juggling and spinning. Even some 10" are too heavy. I always look for a very lightweight pandeiro for playing. But, the 12" will build up your strenght!
@arlington I agree about the microphone, it defenately takes away from some of the tamber and tones of the drum, but it does allow for recording possibilities. If you listen to 1970's samba recordings, you can see it's a different "language" than nowadays samba. It's defenately much SIMPLER and STRONG. Since then they've added instruments (like repique de mão for example) and the grooves vary. Listen to Clara Nunes recordings like Tristeza pé no chão and you'll hear it. Simple and strong.
A regular tambourine has the jingles reversed (facing away from each other) and it will make too much jingle noise and not enough head noise. You can do it but it will not sound the same.
This is a 10" Contemporanea but I also use O Profissional (sp?) I like a wood frame and a real animal skin (pele). I don't really like the plastic heads or frames. Maybe you can find it on the internet or some big music stores.
