If you have listened to performances by professional samba bands - some community samba bands too - you might have heard the samba swing. This is a way of playing the notes intentionally unevenly and it helps gives samba its distinctive sound.
The samba swing is not like the swing heard in other genres of music. In Western folk music, popular music or jazz, the swing is usually played with the long note being twice as long as the short note.
The samba swing is less straightforward. Try tapping notes alternating between your right and left hand and keeping the notes evenly spaced. Cycle the pattern thinking of the notes as being in four groups of four.
Now tap a rhythm in which the first two notes of each group of four are each half the length of the two notes that follow.
Somewhere between these two rhythms is the samba swing. You can find the samba swing by tapping out one rhythm then gradually shifting to the other.
The techniques used to play the instruments of the bateria help the players incorporate the samba swing. The drum known as the repinique, usually the lead drum in a bateria, is often played using a stick in just one hand, the notes being a mixture of strikes to the drum skin from the stick or from the open hand.
A single movement from the player can bring the stick onto the skin but allowing the stick to bounce so that it produces three quick notes. A fourth note can then added by the open hand.
This rapidly repeated sequence of STICK - bounce - bounce - HAND lends itself to producing the samba swing. Similar techniques are used to play the caixa (snare drums) but with sticks in each hand.
The shakers are played by pushing the instrument away from then returning it towards the body. The first note will be an accented push, the fourth will be an accented return. In between will be a quieter return and push made using smaller ovements. PUSH - return - push - RETURN. The unevenness of the notes allows the shaker players to fit in more notes but it also lends itself to producing the samba swing.
The little tamborim drums are held in one hand whilst being struck using a beater held in the other hand. When used to play rapid groups of four notes, the player twists the drum down then up again on the second and third note. This movement with the drum means less movement is required from the beater to get the rapid group of four notes. This technique allows the players to play faster and to sustain long runs of quick notes but it also naturally leads to the samba swing.
Note that later blog posts will go into more detail about the techniques used to play the different instruments.
Many community groups - Worldwise Samba Drummers included - don’t worry too much about the samba swing as it can be challenging to play until the drummers get used to it and it only works properly if all the drummers are playing the swing - if some drummers are playing the swing and some aren’t then the music becomes very muddy.
However, if you listen to performances by the samba schools of Brazil or more experienced groups from elsewhere, you will hear the samba swing put into use.
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