The pandeiro is the Brazilian frame drum with jingles: it drives samba, choro, baião and capoeira. It looks simple, but the secret is the back-and-forth motion of the hand, which makes four different sounds without stopping. In Dedilhado Vivo you learn each sound separately, then put them together into grooves, always with a metronome and with the app listening through the microphone.
🥁 Where to hitThe pandeiro drawing lights up the spot for each hit: thumb, fingertips, heel or slap.
🎤 Microphone feedbackThe app checks that each hit is on time and whether it was low or high.
👆 Practice on the screenNo pandeiro nearby? Practice the rhythm by tapping the screen.
📅 7-day planA little each day, from the first sound to the samba groove.
The four pandeiro sounds
| Letter | Sound | How to play it |
|---|---|---|
| P | Thumb bass | The thumb hits the edge and leaves right away, letting the skin ring |
| D | Fingertips (high) | The fingers hit lightly near the edge |
| B | Heel of the hand (high) | The part of the palm near the wrist hits the edge on the way back |
| T | Slap | The open hand cracks in the middle of the skin |
The grooves you learn
| Rhythm | Pattern (one letter per sixteenth note) |
|---|---|
| Samba | P D B D P D B D |
| Baião | P D B P D B P D |
| Xote | P · D B P · D B |
| Ijexá | P · D · P P D · P · D · P P D · |
| Choro | P D B D T D B D |
Frequently asked questions
Is the pandeiro hard to learn?
You get the first sound on day one. What takes time is the nonstop back-and-forth of the hand; with 10 minutes a day, the samba groove starts to come out in a few weeks.
Do I need a pandeiro to use the app?
No. You can practice the rhythm by tapping the screen. With a pandeiro, the app listens through the microphone and checks the timing and sound of every hit.
Free resources
What do you want to learn?start from zero, play in tune, practice between lessons…Free sheet music28 easy songs with note namesEasy recorder songsnotes, sheet music and holesWhat the microphone checksnotes, intonation, chords and rhythmFlute fingering chartevery note, with soundViolin finger chartfirst position mapGuitar chord chartdiagrams and soundProgressions and strummingguitar patterns to play alongReading flute musicbeginner's guideReading violin musicnotes, fingers and bowingReading guitar musicvs. tabs and chord chartsReading piano musictreble clef, bass clef, both handsRhythm wordsnote values with claps you can hearFree online metronomeBPM, tap tempo and time signatures