Playing Techniques: When the birimbau is played the birimbau is held
vertically the birimbau is struck with a small stick only two notes are
produced during performance. The birimbau is played by holding the
instrument vertically close to the chest while the left hand changes
the pitch while right hand strikes the birimbau during performance. The
birimbau is used to keep the tempo of a rhythm during capoeria and
other dances. Nowadays the birimbau is adopted as a percussion
instrument to which it has found its way through jazz, popular, and
other forms of world music.
The Caxixi:The
caxixi pronounced “ca-chi-chi” is a percussion instrument in which is
a small rattle woven from rattan. A bottom surface is added to weight
the instrument down a bit for the ease of performance. The "fill" is
then added, the fill of the caxixi could be of small pebbles, lead buck
shot or anything a
bit heavy in weight. Although small in size the fill when filled to the
correct ammount the desired percussive sound is acheived. The cacixi
maybe played individually or in accompaniment with the birimbau. When
the caxixi is played
with the birimbau the caxixi is then held together with the birimbau
the right hand holds the birimbau the left hand holds the caxixi during
the play of the birimbau.
Foot notes: The caxixi was acquired on same
date as the Birimbau (came with instrument).
The Anatomy of the Birimbau:
The birimbau is constructed from a bow, gourd, string and brass ring or
stone. The string is tied to each end of the birimbau and which
the gourd is affixed almost a foot to the top end of the bow. The gourd
serves as a resonance chamber. Often bicycle break cable, or steel
diameter.
Name: Birimbau
Type: Struck Monochord > Percussion
Region: Brazil > South America
Source: Pacific Drum Shop Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
Description:
The birimbau is a monochord or single-stringed chordophone, it’s
basically a bow with one string and a gourd attached. A brass ring or a
hard-piece of wood or sometimes a shell would be used as a bridge to
adjust the tone of the string when being struck with a thin diameter
chop-stick like peace of wood. The use of the birimbau is associated
with the martial art and dance called "Capoeira". Capoeira is a martial
art form concealed in a dance that was used by the slaves as a means of
survival back in the colonial times. Similar instruments to the
birumbau are found through out Central and South Africa in which the
birimbau likely has its origins. Currently the birimbau is making its way through many
different communities outside of Brazil and with in the Brazilian diaspora.