Meinl Samba Percussion |
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| All the signs indicate that Samba, as a musical form and as a dance, is increasing in popularity in the UK. Heck, even Ely, the small city from whence this magazine emerges each month, recently set up a Samba band, which is open to anybody to join. And maybe that is the crux of why it is so popular - i.e. that it is a form of music which requires several people to create, in fact the more the merrier. I guess in that way it is similar to drum circles in that within a Samba band there is a sense of community, and you can see the obvious enjoyment and fulfilment in the faces of the participants. |
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| The repinique player in a samba band
acts as a conductor setting the correct tempo and rhythm Tamborims are small 6" diameter drums
which are like small tambourines but without the jingles. If you have ever seen a good pandeiro
player then you will already know that there is a big The cowbells are from Meinl's RealPlayer
SteelBells range and are hand made from a special steel alloy with a
hand brushed steel finish. The pitches of the
Finally we have 3 different sizes of
tube shakers - a small single shaker, a I think the Meinl samba series is an excellent range of good quality, value for money instruments that do the job they are designed for with ease and aplomb. They are well made, study and look and sound good. But what is also most important is that they are designed to be light in weight so that you do not tire during a long street procession or samba session. If you are keen to learn more and get involved then check out your local samba group and some samba websites. Samba music only works if all the constituent parts are in place, as they meld together to create the totally infectious rhythms that constitute samba. You hear Samba music and you tap you feet and twitch to the beat - and if that doesn't happen to you then check your pulse. Upbeats: Downbeats: Prices (correct as of March 2006): Distributed by Active Music Distribution Web Links: |
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So
what instruments make up a Samba band and how do they work together?
Meinl know the answer to that and have produced a range of Samba instruments
which we will now take a look at. We have before us a surdo drum, a
repinique drum, 2 tamborims, 2 pandeiros, Agogo Bells, cowbells and
various steel tube shakers.The large surdo drum supplies the heartbeat
for the overall samba sound, forming a foundation for the other instruments
to build on. It is held by a strap around your neck and is played by
striking the head with the supplied fluffy felt mallet with one hand
and by damping the sound by placing your other hand on the head. I have
always thought that the surdo drum looks a bit like a large baked bean
tin with the label removed being essentially an aluminium cylinder with
ridges around its girth. We have the 20x24" version, although it is
also available in 18x22" and 22x24". The 20x24" has 10 tensioning rods
which run from the top rim to the bottom one, and chrome plated hardware
complete with replaceable, synthetic heads. The package also includes
a tuning key. One definite plus point is that although it is a sizeable
drum, the surdo is not at all heavy, which is a necessity for use in
a conventional samba street procession! And if you are playing in the
street with several other samba musicians you need to be heard, and
this instrument easily provides deep, sonorous sound required to supply
the sexy samba pulse. The sound is also reminiscent of kettledrums in
its texture and volume.
for
the entrance of the other instruments. Again, the repinique drum is
played with one stick whilst the other hand dampens the skin and plays
open tones and slaps. The Repinique's drumhead is always highly tensioned
very taught and the sound is very like the sound of timbales, and is
pure and reasonably cutting. Meinl make two sizes of aluminium repiniques,
10x10" and 12x10", but what we have here though is a 12x10" model which
has a rubberwood shell complete with a classy "African Brown" gloss
finish. It has 8 tuning rods, replaceable, synthetic heads and includes
a tuning key. Although we do not have an aluminium model here, it is
fair to say that the wooden model produces a warmer sound than its metal
counterpart. All in all, a very nice instrument.
They
are struck using a distinctive 3 pronged plastic beater with one hand
while the other dampens and tightens the drum head to achieve higher
and lower sounds. These Meinl "Floatune" tamborims are so called because
nothing pierces the shell, which should result in a purer sound (a system
employed on many drums these days). The instruments seem very sturdy
and are available in a range of shell materials. All use replaceable
synthetic heads and all have 8 tuning lugs with counter sunk bolts.
Interestingly Meinl provide an old German 1 pfennig coin with which
to adjust the tuning lugs! Well I guess after Germany adopted the Euro
as their monetary weapon of choice someone had to think of a use for
their old coinage! Not surprisingly for such a small drum, the tamborims
produce a loud, bright and cutting sound, the sound varying of course
depending on the shell material.
difference
between shaking a normal tambourine and playing the pandeiro. In the
hands of an experienced player, the pandeiro can sound like a snare
drum, a shaker and a conga-like drum, all at the same time! This is
even more remarkable in that the pandeiro is essentially played with
one hand while the other hand holds the instrument. The instruments
come in 10" and 12" size and feel very robust with rubberwood shells,
chrome plated hardware and a replaceable goatskin head. The jingles
are far more solid and heavier than those on a normal tambourine and
have a brilliant cutting sound. A tuning key is of course included.
Which brings us to the agogo bells, cowbells and ganzas
(shakers). The agogos are made from a special steel alloy and are apparently
"tonally matched" so that they sound good when played together. The
smaller STBAG-1 has a brushed steel finish and is also mountable so
comes complete with a mounting clamp, whereas the larger STBAG2-CH has
a highly polished chrome finish and is a hand-held model. Both sound
good with clear cutting tone lacking in unwanted overtones.
cowbells
in the range form a diatonic scale, which again, should make them pleasing
to the ear when played together. To be honest, to me they sound very
much like any other cowbell out there, but I didn't get the whole range
so couldn't test the diatonic scale claim. The cowbell is really a primitive
instrument which has changed very little over the years, being essentially
a metal bell that you hit with a stick. The real difference of course,
comes in the playing of it. A good cowbell player is able to play intricate
rhythms using open tones and closed or damped tones by damping the sound
with the hand or fingers that hold the cowbell. A technique used of
course in samba.
medium
sized double shaker and a large triple shaker. All are made from aluminium
and contain solid steel shot inside. Of course, being made from aluminium
they are very light and are therefore less likely to cause fatigue.
All have a reasonably cutting sound but warm (and not harsh) sound becoming
fuller of course as you move from single through to double and triple.