Carnegie Hall

Aim: What are the rhythmic and cultural elements that define the samba?
Summary: Students learn a samba song and the underlying samba rhythms, and are introduced to the cultural context for the genre.
Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, Musical Explorers Student Guide, drum, tambourine, desktops, metronome
Standards: National 1, 2, 9, 11
Vocabulary: pandeiro rhythm, samba, samba school, syncopation

“Mas Que Nada,” written in the 1960s by esteemed pop singer-songwriter Jorge Ben, is a classic samba. Samba is rooted in the musical and religious traditions of Afro-Brazilians in Bahia, and grew up in the favelas (extremely poor neighborhoods) of Rio de Janeiro more than 100 years ago. Many subgenres have evolved in the decades since.

• One of the basic samba rhythms is a constant stream of eighth notes that establish the steady beat. This rhythm is played on the pandeiro, a frame drum that is unofficially referred to as the national instrument of Brazil. It is similar to the tambourine, with jingles that make a drier, crisper sound.
• The pandeiro is held in one hand and played with the other, using three different parts of the hand: the thumb, the fingers, and the heel.
• Two versions of the pandeiro rhythm are show below, one in 4/4 and the other in 2/4. You can do this activity on a drum or tambourine if you have one. If percussion instruments are not available, the activity can easily be done on a desktop.

In Design Your Own Samba School Flag (PDF), your students will have an opportunity to name their own samba school and create a samba school flag. They can do this activity individually, in small groups, or as a class.