Berimbau Lessons

Learn to play the Berimbau

We hope you enjoy these video tutorials with Mestre Virgulinho on how to play the Berimbau.

São Bento Grande de Angloa

This is a generally a faster paced game played with ample movements. Rasteiras, tesouras, and vingativas are common in this game.

Angola

Considered the oldest and most traditional toque. Used for the Angola game, a generally slower paced rhythm…

Benguela

Banguela is a slower rhythm created by Mestre Bimba. It is a “jogo de floreios”, not in the sense of acrobatics…

São Bento Grande de Mestre Bimba

This rhythm is often called “São Bento Grande de Regional” or simply “Regional”.

Iúna

A medium-paced and graceful game, it is played traditionally by “formados” (graduated students)…

Santa Maria

Mestre Bimba’s Santa Maria is different from the Santa Maria in Capoeira Angola.

Cavalaria

Mestre Bimba strove to preserve the cavalaria rhythm in honour of the past when capoeiristas used it to…

São Bento Pequeno

Also known as São Bento pequeno or Inverted Angola (because it replaces the high note of the Angola toque with the low and vice versa)…

Samba de Roda

This rhythm comes from the traditional Sambas de Roda of Bahia and is perhaps the oldest of the toques listed…

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