An insightful article on stringing up and playing the Berimbau:
The Berimbau is the main instrument of Capoeira. It is held and played by the Mestre to command the Capoeira game, or jogo, during a Capoeira roda. There are distinct rhythms played that dictate the game to be played by the participants. Although it is seemingly a simplistic and primitive looking instrument, the sounds it creates is complex in both tonality and rhythm.
Lets hope I build enough arm strength to string the berimbau on my own soon… Til then, its more push ups for me!
Just like drums, the sound of the berimbau deteriorates with increased humidity. When exposed to our wet local weather, the berimbau will lose its ‘sustain’ and start sounding ‘flat’ with time. This is due to the wood and skins (of drums) stretching and becoming softer from the damp.
A dehumidifier or a good sunning should help lessen the effects of humidity. Drum skins should be detuned to prevent over-stretching.
Do you think keeping the berimbaus in a dry cupboard would help? We could get a tall, narrow one, just to store them in, and put one of those dehumidifying tubs in there to keep the moisture out.
Short of vacuum packing the berimbaus, i think sunning the berimbaus are a good idea
Rafael plans to conduct a special workshop where students make their own berimbau. We’re trying to source for raw materials from Brazil, so keep your fingers crossed!