First Published in 2014
Last modified May 2025
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. The notation is explained here. For further explanations of specific toques, follow the links provided.
Angola
tsh#tsh# dom dim
Some 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
https://youtu.be/33CyGKalyPs
* 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
Some 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
tsh#tsh# dim dom dom
a) tsh#tsh# dim dom dom
b) tsh#tsh# dim dim dom
c)(Mestre Bimba) tsh#tsh# domdim tsh#tsh# dom dom dim
Some 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 and close to each other.
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
Go to Amazonas – Mestre Bimba for more details.
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
General variation to practice: dom tss domdom tss dom dom tss
Banguela
Go to Banguela – Mestre Bimba for more details.
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
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyXR880eJ-4
Cavalaria – Angola
tsh#(tsh#)domtsh#(tsh#)domtsh#(tsh#)dom (tsh#domdomdomdom)…
Idalina
Go to Idalina – Mestre Bimba for more details.
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
Go to Iúna – Mestre Bimba for more details.
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
Santa Maria – Mestre Bimba (Regional)
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.
* 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
Similar to 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
Go to Samango – Mestre Canjiquinha for more details.
Toque for lateral, dynamic game, created by Mestre Canjiquinha.
tsh#dom tsh#dom tsh#dom tsh#domdomdomdom tsh#domdomdomdomdomdomdomdom
Muzenza
Go to Muzenza – Mestre Canjiquinha for more details.
tsh#tsh#dom tsh#dom dom
tsh#tsh#dom domdim dom dom
Barravento
Go to Barravento for more details.
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
Go to Abaré – Mestre Poncianinho for more details.
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
Go to Samba De Roda de Angola for more details.
tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh#dom tsh#tsh# domdomdomdom
Variations/Repiques:
1) tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dim tsh#tsh#dim dimdimdim
2) tsh#tsh#domdomdomdom domdomdom domdomdomdom domdomdom
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.
Berimbau 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.
tic – hit cabaça with baqueta.
There are various notations for berimbau toques, for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira_toques