Capoeira toques
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In the game of capoeira, toques are the rhythms played on the berimbau. Many toques are associated with a specific game (i.e. style and speed of play) though organizations differ on how to play each toque.
- A note on notation:
- Every character except the "|" (and including the '.') stands for an equal unit of time (an eighth note if you think of the basic pattern as being in 4/4 time).
- "v" = a low note (strike the arame with the dobrão open and the cabaça away from the belly).
- "^" = a high note (strike the arame with the dobrão pressing firmly on the arame and the cabaça away from the belly).
- "x" = a buzz (strike the arame with the dobrão resting lightly on the arame and the cabaça against the belly).
- "-" = a hammer (clicking the dobrão against the arame without hitting)
- "." = a rest (take no action, usually let any previous note ring through)
- "|" has no value and is not played. It's used to help us keep our place in the music.
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[edit] Angola
Considered the oldest and most traditional toque. Used for the Angola game, a slow performance where players demonstrate balance and corporal expression.
The basic: xxv.^...
some players shake the caxixi on the last beat, aka the second to last unit giving:
xxv.^.s.
where s = the shake
[edit] São Bento pequeno de Angola
Also known as São Bento pequeno or Inverted Angola (because it switches the high and low notes of Angola). A close, fast game. São Bento Pequeno is also sometimes played as a contra-toque (an inversion of the gunga) by the medio berimbau while playing Angola.
The basic: xx^.v...
[edit] São Bento grande de Angola
Just São Bento grande to many. This is a very fast game played with ample movements. Leg sweeps and take downs are common in this game.
The basic: xx^.v.v.
[edit] São Bento grande de Bimba
Often called São Bento grande de Regional or just Regional. Mestre Bimba’s fast, explosive game seen often in exhibitions.
The basic: v.xx^.xx|v.v.^.xx
[edit] Benguela
In many schools played extremely close and with much deception. Some schools play this as a slower, safer Regional game.
The basic: xxv.^.^.
[edit] Iúna
A toque created by Mestre Bimba to mimic the Amazonian Iúna bird, it signals a medium paced game with emphasis almost entirely on acrobatics and usually played with ample distance between partners. Traditionally this game is only played by graduados (experienced students) and in many schools may only be played when a Mestre is present. There is no singing or hand clapping.
The pattern is very complicated. It usually switches between one of a set of variations and a repeated common measure.
The repeated measure is: v-xxv-v-
The variations include: v-xxv-v- (the same as the repeated measure) v-v-v-v- vvvvvvvv vvvvv-v- v.v.v.v.v. v-xv-xvx
This gives us something like this:
v-v-v-v-|v-xxv-v-|vvvvv-v-|v-xxv-v-|v-xxv-v-|v-xxv-v-|vvvvvvvv|v-xxv-v-
[edit] Idalina
A slow, but powerful game.
The basic: v.v.^.v.|v.v.^.xx
[edit] Santa Maria
A quite beautiful toque used for the not much seen 'razor' game (which uses knives or razors attached to the feet) or the 'money' game where the players try to pick up a coin purse placed in the center of the roda with their mouths.
The rhythm is swung as in jazz so while it looks straight forward in the notation, the first, third and fifth notes in each measure are held longer than the others.
vvvvxx|vvv^xx|^^^^xx|^v^vxx
[edit] Amazonas
A welcoming toque used to greet visiting Mestres and guests. It has no traditionally associated game though Mestre Camisa is currently developing a game that mimics the movements of Amazonian animals.
The basic: v-xv^.xx|v.v.^.xx
[edit] Cavalaria
Originally used to alert players that the police were coming, the toque imitates the galloping of horses (and some say it sounds like a police siren). Today it is used to warn players that a potentially hostile person has arrived at the roda.
v.xx|v.xx|v.xx|v.^.
[edit] Miudinho
Created by Mestre Suassuna. The game is like Angola, but faster. There is no singing. The toque sounds like a reverse Cavalaria.
^.xx|^.xx|^.xx|^.v.
Mestre Suassuna: "The game of miudinho is generating controversy because it is being misinterpreted. People are thinking it's a new capoeira, and it's nothing like that. I simply rescued an older capoeira, modernized the manner of playing it, changed the sequences... the name miudinho arose because I was observing that capoeiristas were playing very distant from each other and in our time we played very close; thus, I said to people, 'I want the game more minute, closer, play very tiny.' Then, I created a toque on the berimbau. Miudinho is not a new capoeira, it's a different manner to display capoeira. Just like the games of Iuna and São Bento Grande exist, the game of miudinho exists."
For video of Miudinho: http://www.capoeirapraha.cz/video.htm
