Berimbau
Berimbau
🌍 Brazil
Brazil's single-string musical bow — the conductor and heartbeat of capoeira
Lin says:
Olá! I'm Lin! The berimbau is one of the most unusual instruments in the world — a tall wooden bow with one wire string and a gourd resonator. But what makes it completely unique is its role in capoeira — the Afro-Brazilian martial art that looks like acrobatic dance. The berimbau doesn't just accompany capoeira — it controls it! The tempo and rhythm tell the fighters when to speed up, slow down, attack, or be cautious. It's the conductor of a martial art!
Quick Facts
Strings
1 metal string
Resonator
Dried gourd (cabaça)
Role
Controls capoeira martial art
Origin
Afro-Brazilian (Angola roots)
Discover the Berimbau
The berimbau is a musical bow with only ONE metal string — but the player varies the pitch by pressing a coin or stone against the string while tapping it with a stick. A gourd resonator amplified by the body creates the sound.
Instrument Type
String
Known As
Berimbau
Where It's Played
📷 Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC licence)
For Educators
Music is a universal language! Use this page to spark classroom discussions about culture, history, and how music connects communities around the world.
Did You Know?
The gourd (cabaça) on a berimbau is not fixed — the player holds it against their belly to amplify or muffle the sound. Moving the gourd back and forth creates a wah-wah effect.
Berimbau players carry three tools: the bow (verga), a small stone or coin (dobrão) to press against the string, and a thin stick (baqueta) to strike the wire. Three objects, infinite possibilities.
UNESCO added capoeira — and by extension the berimbau — to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2014, recognising it as one of Brazil's greatest cultural contributions to the world.
What Makes the Berimbau Special?
The Conductor of Capoeira
Capoeira — the Afro-Brazilian martial art combining fighting, dance, and acrobatics — is performed to the berimbau's rhythms. Different rhythmic patterns signal different fighting styles: fast and aggressive, slow and deceptive, or celebratory.
From Africa to Brazil
The berimbau's ancestor is the African musical bow, brought to Brazil by enslaved Africans, particularly from Angola and the Congo. In Brazil it merged with indigenous and Portuguese elements to become uniquely Brazilian.
More Than One Note
Despite having one string, the berimbau produces multiple pitches — pressing a coin (dobrão) against the string raises it by a half-step. Combined with muting and gourd-to-body contact, players create complex melodies.
Keep Exploring the World!
Music is the heartbeat of every culture. Discover more incredible instruments and the countries where they are played.