Berimbau music is almost synonomis with capoeira. Said to "command the circle", the berimbau detirmines the kind of game (angola, regional, etc.) by playing the appropriate rhythm or toque. Visit our rhythms section to hear some berimbau samples.

The berimbau looks like a bow tightly tied with a steel wire, or arame, which is extracted from the inside of car tires. A hollow gourd or cabaça is tied to the shaft of the berimbau for extra resonance. The string used to secure the cabaça to the berimbau is also used to balance the berimbau on the smallest finger of the hand. Noise is created by striking the arame with a slight wooden stick called a baqueta. A woven rattle called a caxixi usually accompanies the hand holding the baqueta.

To vary the sound, a rock or dobrão, held in the same hand as the berimbau, is pressed against the arame. Pressing firmly raises the pitch by approximately a whole note. Pressing loosly creates a buzzing sound. Variations can also be created by pressing the mouth or boca of the cabaça against the belly.