What is a pandeiro?
The Pandeiro is a Brazilian frame drum similar to a tambourine. It derives from Middle Eastern frame drums and it reached Brazil through Northern Africa, Europe and the Portuguese colonialists. It is played in the horizontal position instead of the vertical position, as other frame drums are. It has a wooden frame, a natural skin, usually from a goat, and metal jingles that shake when you play the instrument. The pandeiro is used a lot in Brazil and has become very popular all over the world with the spreading of Brazilian music but also because of its great adaptability to other musical styles. Some early pioneers of the pandeiro were Jackson do Pandeiro and João da Baiana. A big figure especially in the choro style was Jorginho do Pandeiro. The father of the modern pandeiro is Marcos Suzano who discovered new playing techniques and ways to apply the pandeiro to all kinds of musical styles, including funk, rock and electronic. The pandeiro has since then risen in popularity and we now have a whole genre of virtuosic players who can do amazing things on the instrument. But the biggest use of the pandeiro is probably still in samba and choro music and these styles are now played all over the world.
What is the difference between a pandeiro and a tambourine?
The pandeiro and a skinned tambourine look similar but are quite different. Both have a frame, a skin and some jingles, but here the similarities end. The pandeiro is played in a horizontal position while the tambourine is played in a vertical position. A pandeiro is often gripped with the left hand and the tambourine with the right. The pandeiro has a low tuned skin and the tambourine a high tuned skin and the skin sound on a pandeiro is very important while it is not that important on a tambourine. The way to fix the skin is different on both instruments as the pandeiro has a removable skin and the tambourine a fixed skin. The jingles on a pandeiro are softer sounding than those on a tambourine. Finally the pandeiro has a different technique of playing than the tambourine and they fill different musical needs. The pandeiro is arguably the more versatile of the two. The pandeiro is used mostly in Brazilian music and the skinned tambourine is used in gospel and classical music.
Should I choose a plastic or natural skin pandeiro?
There are basically two kinds of pandeiro: the one with a natural skin and the one with a plastic skin. The natural skin pandeiro is often referred to as the artesanal instrument while the plastic skinned pandeiros are usually factory made. Their basic playing style is more or less the same. One of the biggest advantages of a natural skin is that you can get nice bass tones with it while this is not possible on plastic skins. Another big difference worth considering is the weight. The pandeiros with a plastic head tend to be a lot heavier because of the robust construction they need to support the tension from the high tuned skin while the natural skin pandeiros are made as light weight as possible to improve playing comfort. This is a big deal for beginners. The hand that holds the pandeiro gets tired fast with a heavy instrument and this can even lead to injury if not respected. A lightly made pandeiro can be played much longer and with less fatigue, increasing the enjoyment of it. The natural skin pandeiro is more versatile, allowing more creativity and inventiveness because of the various sounds you can get out of it. It is the one used for choro music while the plastic head pandeiro is better adapted to samba and pagode. In many circumstances both are played at the same time, each supporting the other.
How to choose your first pandeiro?
The first rule is to get whatever you can and just start playing to see if you like it. Most probably you will find it a lot of fun and want to play as much as you can. At this moment it is good to consider what instrument you play on. Check the paragraph about plastic vs natural skin pandeiros first. If you have chosen to play a natural skin pandeiro you have found the right place!
The natural skin pandeiro is easy to play and can be played almost in any musical setting. There are factory made pandeiros as well as hand made ones. If you start on the cheap end of the spectrum you will arrive at a moment when you want a better instrument. On the other hand, if you invest a bit more initially you will get years and years of use out of it without a need for replacement. And in case you choose one of our pandeiros we also provide replacement parts so that your instrument can continue to make music for as long as you do. We would advise you to buy a good instrument already in the beginning as the investment is very small compared to other instruments and the process of learning will be more enjoyable and you will have more fun with it!
If you have no idea what pandeiro to buy let us help you a bit. Buy the HP Punchy Pandeiro Wicked Walnut with Choro Samba jingles. If you have small hands choose the Sweet Cherry frame instead. This is our most popular combination and that is because it works in all situations and is just simply great! Go to the pandeiro here.
Why choose an HP Pandeiro?
Our pandeiros are made of first class materials in small batches where we can give our attention to the quality and usefulness of the instrument. The HP Pandeiros are light weight, have beautiful wooden frames, hand chosen natural goat skins of the highest quality and jingles (platinelas) that sound pleasing yet are easily heard. Additionally we are the only ones to offer various different jingles for variation in sound and these can be easily changed thanks to our inventive way of mounting the jingles, not seen on any other pandeiro. Our thoughts have also gone into the protection of the instrument and that is why they come with the Real Pro Bag that protects and supports the pandeiro while on the move. We offer a full warranty from manufacturing issues and stock spare parts in case something goes wrong. Basically we have you covered on all fronts and are sure you will agree!