Surdo
Surdo is a single-headed cylinder drum played in Rio de Janeiro , which is one of the conical, cylindrical or hourglass-shaped drums atabaque in Brazil . The surdo is one of the largest and most important percussion instruments of the Bateria de Samba. It provides the rhythmic basis of the piece and is therefore largely responsible for controlling the playing speed.
Design
The surdo is about 60 centimeters high and has a diameter between 40 and 60 centimeters, occasionally even larger versions with diameters of up to 75 centimeters are used. The original sound body is made of wood, alternatively galvanized steel or - not least because of the lower weight - aluminum are used. High-quality aluminum surdos consist of a seamlessly drawn cup, which is more robust and often (but not necessarily) offers better sound properties than a cup with a seam. Batter and resonance heads are usually attached to the shell with a ring each and tensioned with 8 to 12 tension rods. Goat and plastic skins are common.
Variants include the surdos used in Salvador de Bahia . They are usually less high (40 to 50 centimeters), therefore also lighter, and have a shorter reverberation.
As a variant of the normal batter head, the double-layer corino heads are used. Here the batter head is covered with another layer, which leads to a fuller, deeper sound.
The repinique , another important instrument of the bateria, is sometimes referred to as a very high surdo due to its similar shape and style of play , but it has a different role within the bateria and is therefore usually viewed as a separate instrument. It is beyond the scope of this article.
variants
In the Bateria de Samba, surdos are played in either two or three tones. If there are three pitches, a distinction is made between primeiro, segundo - which form a functional unit - and terceiro .
Primeiro ( marcação ): The primeiro is the lowest tuned instrument in the bateria and is mainly used to play the pulse (beat) together with the segundo , often playing on the even beats. Mainly instruments with a circumference of 60 centimeters and larger are used.
Segundo ( resposta, respondor ): The higher pitched segundo corresponds to the Primeiro when playing the pulse and often plays the odd beats in Samba de Enredo and other styles. Instruments with a circumference of 50 and 55 centimeters are common.
Terceiro ( cortador ): The smallest surdo has the highest relative skin tension. The relatively low reverberation of the instrument and the increased rebound caused by the skin tension make it possible to play faster, more complex sequences of strokes. While Primeiro and Segundo are responsible for the pulse, the terceiro plays the actual surdo pattern on this basis, which complements the pulse as the basic rhythmic structure of the samba and mostly determines the character of the piece. Frequently surdos with a diameter between 40 and 45 centimeters as terceiro used.
Two pitches
Since both primeiro and segundo make it difficult to play complex rhythms due to their reverberation and relatively low skin tension, the use of only two surdo voices is rare and mainly found in amateur groups outside of Brazil. Here, the pattern is either played correspondingly in both voices or in one vocal range, while the other does justice to its actual role as a pulse generator.
Style of play
Primeiro and segundo are usually played as pulse generators with a mallet and hand. The hand is mainly used in these pitches to dampen the skin during the hit of the corresponding surdo. The terceiro is also often played with a mallet and hand; Whether and when the damping takes place depends on the particular pattern. With smaller instruments, the hand is also used for the actual game in addition to the mallet, which can be used for complex, syncopated rhythms. The possibility of changing the pitch can also be used, so the sound of the surdo increases when the batter head is pressed in sufficiently with the free hand.
In different styles, especially in Samba Reggae and the mixed form Samba Duro, the terceiro can also be played with two mallets at the same time. Damping after the hit is carried out - if necessary - by placing a mallet vertically on the batter head.
Another variant of the game, which is also used at surdos , is the rimclick, a blow on the ring that attaches the batter head.
The surdo is usually carried with shoulder or hip belts, often with open hooks, into which the instruments only have to be hung. The use of stands is rare and usually only matters if several surdos are being played simultaneously by a single percussionist or if the weight is too heavy.
