Repinique

Created by samba schools to make a high, piercing sound. It is also used as a calling (lead) and solo instrument in the samba school bateria (percussion band). In samba it is played with a stick in the right hand, with the left hand beating counterpoint directly on the drum head, or vice-versa. It is played together with the tamborins in a galloping rhythm.

Surdo

Surdos are the heartbeat of percussion samba. With their deep bass sound, surdos are used to mark time and provide a steady beat that acts as a foundation for the accompanying rhythms. There are three kinds of surdos: first, second, and cutting (or third). The surdo is the heart of the samba school baterias, but is also used in frevo, samba reggae and axe music.

Agogo

Made of iron and steel, they are used in samba and its offshoots. The sound is made by striking a stick against the instrument's two bells, producing a high and low tone.

Caixa

Made of wood or metal, the caixa has a cylindrical shape and a head on both sides. The traditional caixa was tuned with a system of strings, and the current ones with a metal rod tightened with butterfly nuts, and has a snare on the bottom side, that is, the response head. There are different kinds of caixas with specific names because of their different sizes and timbres. For example: Caixa clara.

Tambourim

A small hand-held drum with a high, piercing sound, played either with a wooden stick (in traditional samba, where a rhythm called telecoteco is often played) or with a three, four, or five-pronged plastic beater (in the samba schools, where there is usually a large group of players).

Ganza

A long shaker with little shells, beads, or seeds inside. Also known as "xique-xique" because of the sound it makes. Used a lot in samba and bossa nova.

Chocalho

This is a very large powerful shaker made of wood or metal with a number of steel jingles. This is a fundamental element in the flavour of a bateria, and also has an important function in helping the caixas to sustain the rhythm.

Cuica

(pronounced "queekaa") Known as "choro" (cry), the sound of a cuica is produced by rubbing a stick inside the drum with a damp cloth, and pressing the outer head with the finger. The closer one presses to the center of the cuica, the higher the sound.

Timba

From the same family as the Tan tan and the Rebola, the Timba, used a lot in samba, has a low sound that marks double time with one hand on the head and the other playing counterpoint on the shell.

Pandeiro

Originally from East Africa, the pandeiro (tambourine) is considered the complete percussion instrument because it has low, medium, and high timbres. Made of wood, goatskin, and five sets of jingles, the conventional pandeiro from Rio de Janerio was introduced into samba and chorinho as a rhythmic base. Later it spread all over Brazil in different ways, and rhythms. It is played in folkloric, pop, and erudite music, among other styles.

Berimbau

Of African origin, the berimbau is used extensively in candomble and capoeira. It has an unusual timbre produced by striking a rod and a ring or coin on a metal string attached to a bow with a resonating dried gourd. It is played together with a caxixi which is shaken while striking the string.