DO IT YOURSELF!
The Instruments
Good place to start...
Proper samba instruments aren't cheap (although you can sometimes get good bulk deals on eBay and from specialist suppliers) but not having instruments is no excuse!!! BOP Samba started off life as a junk band, and you can too!
If you look back at the history of samba, improvised instruments feature strongly. When a military junta ran Brazil in the 1960s and 70s for example, street music or indeed anything considered "cultural" was viewed with suspicion and playing samba could get you arrested. So people used frying pans, table tops, match boxes, clapped hands - indeed anything that could be put to more innocent uses if the army showed up. To put it another way - go with what you've got.
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Stuff to try!!! |
Surdos can be made from large plastic or metal containers - think bins, water butts, large storage drums etc. Metal or plastic bins with drum skins attached work well. You need 3 distinct bass levels - a low, a mid, and a high. Surdos comprise the back line of the band, keeping time and providing a cracking bass beat. It's worth taking time to get this right early.
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Example of a DIY surdo |
The fab guys at the Taru community arts organisation make bass drums out of those giant cardboard tubes from the middle of carpet rolls (just ask at your local carpet store) with lots of layers of clingfilm stretched over them and gaffer taped down to make skins. They're not the most resilient in the world (you really need to play them using plastic bottles as sticks), but they sound brilliant, they're eco friendly and could serve if you're starting out and have no cash at all!!!
Tams are served very well by pots and pans. Try to find something that gives a nice high pitched "crack" when hit.
Snares are the hardest to get right and in the long term you're probably best off investing in a proper one early. Until you do, try getting a large metal can (e.g. a large coffee can) and putting some coins in it. How many depends on the size of the can. Glue a rubber mouse mat over the top. You might need to play with the number of coins you put in to get the right sound. The coins jingle and bounce, causing the "snare" sound. Plastic 1-gallon buckets also work OK.
Repeniques can be improvised using buckets or the large water cooler bottles (there's an site with instructions on how to make DIY bucket drums on our Links page )
Instead of agogos (2 tone cow bells) - how about metal containers filled with different levels of water, or 2 different sized cans? You need 2 distinct levels. Aim for tones that sound good together if possible.
Shakers can be made from 2 containers (tin cans, yoghurt pots etc) filled with small hard objects (e.g. dried beans, lentils, rice etc.) and taped or glued together. You can also make good shakers by nailing bottle tops, little foil fruit pie tins, buttons, tin cans, spoons, the metal parts of 3.5" floppy disks etc loosely to a stick. If you thread them horizontally, you get a very good approximation of a Chocalho. Be careful though – sticks with nails can be mistaken as offensive weapons by stupid people. Tape over or file down any pointy bits.
Sticks - wooden spoons make good drumsticks. Cut down broom or mop handles make good surdo beaters - wrap some foam or even paper round the top then cover with gaffer/ duct tape, or make your own. There are links to instructions for DIY tam sticks and DIY surdo beaters on our links page.
Whatever you do, try and avoid things that some moron might mistake for a weapon. Think cheap, durable, loud and not aggressive looking. If it has any pointy bits, file them down or tape them over. Better safe than sorry!!!
Alternatively, cannibalise an old drum kit! Bass/ kick drums work as impromptu surdos, whilst smaller toms can sub for repeniques. Just strap 'em on and off you go. Be careful though - the nuts and rods on drum kit drums are not designed to hold the weight of the drum. Before you start, pass a strap or some webbing all the way round the drum under all the rods. Use that to attach your carry belt/ strap to.
Whilst we're here, don't forget hearing protection!!! Wear ear protection at all times when you're playing. It feels weird at first, and you have to rely on hand signals a lot more, but you'll get used to it after a while. Better that than permanently damaging your hearing. You can get foam ones pretty cheaply from builders' merchants, motor bike shops, eBay etc, but until then cotton wool balls or clean toilet paper works. DO NOT WAIT until your ears are ringing - by that time it's way too late!
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.