Berimbau Toques

First Published 03 July 2014
Last updated 23 July 2023

Berimbau Toques

The best known Capoeira toques are Angola, São Bento Pequeno and São Bento Grande. Here I go through those and various others that I have learned. Our group has its own official toques when it comes to the roda, Mojuba official toques. The notation is explained here. For further explanations of specific toques just follow the links provided.

If you need a new arame (wire), here’s the most reliable place I have found to buy a replacement – Kalango, in Germany. If you know of anywhere in London, I’d love to hear from you!

* Angola – tsh#tsh# dom dim
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh# dom tsh#tsh# dim tsh#tsh# dom dim
2) tsh#tsh# dom dimdomdim tsh#tsh# dom dim
3) tsh#tsh# dom dimdomdimdomdimdom dim
4) tsh#tsh# dom dim dim dim dom dim
5) tsh#tsh# domdom dimdim dom dim
6) tsh#tsh# dom x4 (OR domtss#)* dim dom dim – Do the dom + or – times
7) tsh#tsh# dom x6 (OR domtss#) dim – Do the dom + or – times
8) tsh#tsh#dom tsh#domdom tsh#dom tsh#domdom tsh#dom tsh#domdom tsh#domdim
9) tsh#tsh# dom dim dimdomdim domdimdomdim
10) tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh#dimdom tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dom#domdomdom dim dom
* With practice you will learn that dom can be played as OR domtss# in many cases, whereas in others it just doesn’t work. I’ve shown it above in 6) and 7) but it can also be done in other places. domtss# = hit dom, then move cabaça to belly and touch arame with pedra (without hitting arame with baqueta)

* Angola Tradicional tsh#tsh# domtss# domtss# dimdimdimdim dom dim
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh#dom dimdomdim dom dom dim
2) tsh#tsh#dom tsh#domdim dom dom dim
3) tsh#tsh#dom tsh#domdom tsh#domdim

* Angola corrida
tsh#domdim
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#domdimdomdimdomdim
2) tsh#domdomdomdomdomdim

* Angolinha – Mestre Waldemar
domtss# domtss# domtss# dom dom
Angolinha – Mestre Gato Preto (aka São Bento Pequeno)
tsh#tsh# domtss# domtss# dim

* São Bento Pequeno – tsh#tsh# dim dom
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh# dim tsh#tsh# dom tsh#tsh# dim dom(dom)
2) tsh#tsh# dim domdimdom tsh#tsh# dim dom
3) tsh#tsh# dim domdimdomdimdomdim dom
4) tsh#tsh# dim dom(OR domtss#) x3* dim dom(dom) – *Do the dom + or – times
5) tsh#tsh# dim dim dom dom dim dom(dom)
6) tsh#tsh# dimdimdimdim dom dim dom
7) tsh#tsh# dim x6 dom – Do the dim + or – times
8) tsh#tsh#dim domdom dimdomdim dom(dom)

* São Bento Grande – a) tsh#tsh# dim dom dom b) tsh#tsh# dim dim dom c)(Mestre Bimba) tsh#tsh# domdim tsh#tsh# dom dom dim
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh# dim domtss dom dim dom dom
2) tsh#tsh# domdomdomdom dim dom dom
3) tsh#tsh# dimdomdimdom dim dom dom
4) tsh#tsh# dim dom (OR domtss#) x3 dim dom dom – Do the dim + or – times
6) tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh#dimdomdom
7) tsh#tsh# dim dom #domdomdom dim dom dom dom dim dom dom
8) tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dom# domdomdom dim dom dom
9) tsh#tsh#domdomdimdom domdomdomdomdimdomdom

General variation to practice: dom tss domdom tss dom dom tss

* Jogo de dentro – tsh#tsh# dim dom dim
Close and tight game, circling around the opponent. Opponents stay low, tight and as close to each other as possible.
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh# dim dom dim x2 tsh#tsh# dimdom domdomdomdomdomdim
2) tsh#tsh# dim dom dim x2 tsh#tsh# dimdomdim domdimdomdim
3) tsh#dim tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dimdomdim (from Mestre Traira’s album)
4) tsh#tsh# dim dom dim domdomdimdomdomdim
5) tsh#tsh# dim dom dim tsh#domtsh#dimtsh#domtsh#dimdomdim

* Miudinho – Mestre Suassuna
tsh#tsh# dim tsh# dim (basic)
tsh#tsh# dim dom dim (variation)

* Amazonas – Mestre Bimba
A toque to welcome visiting mestres
tsh#tsh# dom tsh# dom dim tsh#tsh# dom dom dim x2
tsh#tsh# dom dimdomdimdom dim dom dom
dimdimdimdim domdomdomdom dimdimdimdim domdomdomdom
dim dom dim dom dom dim

* Banguela – Mestre Bimba
tsh#tsh# dom dim dim
tsh#tsh# domdimdomdimdom (tsh#tsh#) dom dimdim
tsh#tsh# dom dom dom dom dom dimdim
tsh#tsh# dom domdomdom domdomdom dimdim
tsh#tsh# dom dimdimdim dom dimdim

* Cavalaria – Mestre Bimba
tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh#domdimdom x2
tsh#tsh# dom# dom dom dom dom dom domdimdom
tsh#tsh# dom# dom dom dom domdimdom

Cavalaria (Angola)
tsh#(tsh#)domtsh#(tsh#)domtsh#(tsh#)dom (tsh#domdomdomdom)…

* Idalina – Mestre Bimba
tsh#tsh# dom dom dim dom dom tsh#dim
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh# dom dom dim dom dom dimdim
2) tsh#tsh# dom dom dim dom dom dimdomdim
3) tsh#tsh# domdomdom dim domdom dimdomdim

* Iúna – Mestre Bimba
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#

* Santa Maria – Mestre Bimba (Regional)
Base
tsh#tsh# dom dom dom dom dom dimdomdim
tsh#tsh# domdimdomdim
tsh#tsh# domdimdomdimdomdimdom dimdomdim
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh# domdomdomdomdomdomdom dom dimdomdim
2) tsh#tsh# domtss domtss domtss domtss dom dimdomdim

Mestre Bimba’s album, to practice regional toques along to.

* Santa Maria (Angola)
tsh#tsh# dom dom dom dom tsh#tsh# dom dim dom dim
tsh#tsh# dim dim dim dim tsh#tsh# dim dom dim dom
and Apanha a laranja in Angola, game to pick objects off the floor with mouth.
tsh#tsh# dom dom dom dom tsh#tsh# dom dom dom dim
tsh#tsh# dim dim dim dim tsh#tsh# dim dim dim dom

* Samango – Mestre Canjiquinha – toque for lateral, dynamic game also created by Mestre Canjiquinha.
tsh#dom tsh#dom tsh#dom tsh#domdomdomdom tsh#domdomdomdomdomdomdomdom

* Muzenza – Mestre Canjiquinha
tsh#tsh#dom tsh#dom dom
tsh#tsh#dom domdim dom dom

* Barravento
tsh#dom#tsh#dom#tsh# dom#domdomdom (repique, add domx6)
tsh#domtssdomtssdomtss tsh#domdom

* Ijexá – Mestre Gato Preto
tsh#tsh#dim dom tsh#tsh#dim domdom

* Abaré – Mestre Poncianinho
tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh# dom dom
tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh#dom dim
tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh# dim dim
tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh# dim dom

* Floreio – Mestre Poncianinho
tsh#domdomdom tsh#domdomdom tsh#domdom

* Samba De Roda de Angola
tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh# domdomdomdom
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dim dimdimdim

* Luana
intro domdimdom dimdomdim
(tsh#)domdim dom dom dom dom x2
(tsh#)domdim dim dim dim dim x2
tsh#domdim
domdomdomdomdom domdomdom tsh#domdim x2
dimdimdimdimdim dimdimdim tsh#domdim x2
Recorded December, 2017 in homage to my granddaughter.

*Some* toques here (Recorded in 2015)

Album on Soundcloud

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Notation
# – Cabaça is touching the belly.

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. Baqueta does not hit the wire.
tss# = as above but berimbau is touching the body.

There are various notations for berimbau toques, two more here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira_toques
capoeiranovagera.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/toques-de-capoeira.html

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