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Surdo PDF Print E-mail
Percussion
Monday, 03 September 2007 03:38
Surdo
In Portuguese the word 'Surdo' means 'deaf'!
The large double-headed bass drum is perhaps the most recognisable of all of the samba instruments, with its deep 'doom' sound providing the fundamental beat of the samba rhythm. The surdo is played with a soft-headed mallet and a bare hand (to dampen the head and change the pitch of the drum), or with two mallets (as in samba reggae and other styles from the north-east of Brazil).

There are three sizes of surdo commonly used in a bateria:

The primeiro ('first') surdo or surdo marcaná is the largest and lowest in pitch of the surdos. The first surdo plays on the SECOND, stronger beat (the upbeat) of a samba.

The segunda ('second') surdo or surdo resposta is smaller and tuned higher than a primeiro surdo. A second surdo plays on the first beat of the samba, (the downbeat) providing a counter beat for the first surdo.

The terceiro ('third') surdo, or surdo cortador, is the smallest and highest pitched of all three surdos. It 'cuts' between the beats of the first and second surdo, playing variations in rhythm.
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Newsflash

Learn to play percussion with the Brisbane Samba School! We are always on the lookout for more percussionists. After all, in Brazil they play this music with over 500 drummers!

We currently have vacancies for:

  • Surdo players
  • Tamborim players
  • Agogo players
  • Caixa (snare) players
  • Repinique players
  • And more...

We'll teach you how to play!