19 October 2014 – Toque de Iúna
Toque de Iúna by Mestre Bimba (Iúna is an old viola guitar rhythm used in the sambas of the Recôncavo, Bahia) – the toque that’s taken me the longest to figure out. I first started trying to learn in March 2014 (half-heartedly, I admit, I was busy learning all the other toques, leaving the hardest till last), it’s October, and I finally made sense of it, I made some good progress today with a little help from my friends 😉
Slowed down, so I can learn (played by Neil Emmanuel)
And this is what I got from watching that video A LOT OF TIMES and playing for a couple of hours:
1st part : dom tsh#tsh# dim#dim# x2
2nd part : dom# dom dom dom dom domtss domtss tsh#tsh# dim# dim#
variation of 1st part : domtss domtss domtss domtss domtss tsh#tsh# dim# dim#
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From the interwebz, this is from March when I was trying to learn it on my own:
1st part : tsh#tsh# dom#tss# dom#tss# domtss (2 on belly, 1 away)
2nd part : tsh#tsh# dom#tss# domtss domtss (1 on belly, 2 away)
3rd part : tsh#tsh# dom#tss# dom#tss# dom dom dom dom dom domtss domtss
Part 1 & 2 are the basis of the toque. Part 3 can be used for variations.
Keyboard notation:
# -> this means the cabaça is touching the stomach, the absence of it means it’s away.
dom = nota solta (loose note), berimbau away, dobrão doesn’t touch wire (arame) when baqueta hits it.
dom# = as above, berimbau close.
dim = nota presa (tight note), berimbau away, dobrão touches wire firmly when baqueta hits wire.
dim# = as above but berimbau close.
tsh = as below but berimbau is away.
tsh# = nota média (medium note), berimbau close, dobrão touches wire loosely when baqueta touches wire. The distinctive ‘chiado’ sound.
tss = meia nota (half note), dobrão just touches wire, commonly after a nota solta.
tss# = as above but berimbau is touching the body.