The Musical Tones from Berimbau

Music has played a pivotal role in the life of each and every individual out there. They fascinate us, and leave us with moments we enjoy for long. They leave behind a great feeling which has the potential to lift our spirits. Berimbau is one such form of music.

Berimbau is a Brazilian musical instrument with a resemblance of a bow. It is a single stringed instrument which is also a part of Candomblé-de-caboclo culture. While there is no concrete evidence about the exact origin of this instrument, it is believed that its origin was from Africa as similar instruments were played in southern Africa in the past.

Berimbau was used for customer attraction on the street fairs in 1834, as per Jean-Baptiste, a renowned French writer. The instrument is made of wood with a length of 4 to 5 feet on an average. The instrument is placed close to the abdominal area, and played with a wooden stick and coin which is used to modify the pitch and tone of the metal string. A gourd is attached to the instrument to produce vibrating sound. The gourd is usually made from a dried calabash called as "cabaça". To play this instrument is a daunting task, and may require several months of practice to be able to produce decent musical notes.

At first impression, the instrument may look a bit strange, however, the sound from the instrument is simply mesmerizing. One can find similar instruments these days, however the sound produced by Berimbau is pretty unique. It produces three sounds mainly called as the open string sound, the high sound, and the buzz sound. The buzz sound is relatively easy to be played in comparison to other sounds, which is why beginners start learning to play from the buzz sound.

The last few decades have seen significant changes in the Berimbau instrument, in terms of colors and overall decoration. The new addition in design and appearance may affect the sound, but most capoeiristas don't seem to care. There are endless numbers of rhythmic notes that can be played with a Berimbau. Good performers manage to play a wide variety of tones on the Berimbau. Today, this instrument is considered as a national icon in Brazil, and is a popular music produced by Brazilians and other country members. Despite the fact, that this music was originated many centuries ago, it still maintains its place in the modern era.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berimbau