Tamborim

Tamborims are used in many styles of Brazilian music, including samba (in a bateria or samba school), pagode, choro, MBP, jazz, and more.

Tamborims with plastic head are best for louder use with a wood or plastic stick. Tamborims with a skin head are great for lower volume playing for choro, pagode, and jazz styles with wood sticks or brushes, or even with hands.

6″ is the standard diameter. Shells are metal or wood, with a depth of 1 3/4″ to 2 1/8″. Shallower depth can be lighter. Deeper drums have a tone that projects more, and are ofter used for louder playing. Depending on your grip, you may prefer a certain depth.

Flexible plastic sticks for tamborim are available here.

For a lesson on tamborim technique in a samba bateria, visit: carldixondrums.com/carreterio

Carl’s recommendations:

Loud Rio-style bateria playing: Ivsom and Thalia Santos steel, Contemporanea aluminum

Lighter weight Rio-Style bateria playing: O Profissional aluminum

Choro: O Profissional wood with skin head

All around: Contemporanea, Gope, Timbra, and Izzo aluminum

Pagode: O Profissional and Timbra wood with nylon head