Pandeiro
Pandeiro
A Brazilian tambourine that adds complexity to capoeira music and speeds up its tempo.
Quick Facts
CategoryEquipment
Pronunciation/[pan-day-roo]/
Definition
The pandeiro is a small hand drum with metal jingles (platinelas) around its rim. Although it may look like an ordinary tambourine, the technique for playing it in Brazilian music and capoeira is extraordinarily rich. The player uses the fingers, thumb, palm, and wrist to produce a wide range of sounds. Within the bateria (the musical ensemble of the roda), the pandeiro complements the sound of the berimbau and atabaque, adding higher frequencies and a swinging rhythm. A skilled pandeiro player can significantly lift the overall energy of the singing crowd.