The berimbau is a musical instrument from Brazil. It's a fairly complicated instrument that can be difficult to play. It figures heavily in capoeira, where it's used to control the rhythm and pace of the game.

The instrument itself is constructed primarily of plant materials. A long stick of biriba wood (the verga) is bent and bound with wire and string (the arame) to form a bow. A resonator (cabaça) made of a hollow, dried gourd is slipped over the end of the bow, secured by a piece of twine. A sound is made by hitting the string with a wooden baton called the baqueta. This sound can be modified in pitch or timbre by holding a stone or coin (dobrão) against the string, or in timbre by moving the resonator closer to or farther from the body. The hand that holds the baqueta also holds a woven wicker shaker (caixixi).

Sounds simple, right? Only for those with three hands. In practice, the rudiments of playing the berimbaus can actually be physically taxing. The entire weight of the loaded verga is supported primarily by the last three fingers of the left hand. The thumb and forefinger hold the dobrão, which you need to move around in order to change your sound. Trying to balance all this on your little finger while wobbling the whole contraption towards and away from your belly is quite unlike playing any other instrument.

For capoeira purposes, the berimbau makes three basic sounds. The first is made with the cabaça close to the body. The dobrão is held lightly against the string. This makes a buzzing sound when struck, in contrast to the clearer tones described later. The next two sounds are made open, with the instrument away from the body. The dobrão is either held away from the string, or tightly against it to increase the tone by a half-step. Some players will also smack the cabaça with the baqueta when the energy (or axé) of the roda demands it. Performers outside of capoeira sometimes actually manage to play a whole range of tones on the berimbau, but most capoeira rhythms (toques) do not require much range of pitch.

Most berimbaus sold in the US are simply varnished, but you can find some that are decoratively painted. The characteristics of the varnish or paint may affect the sound, but most capoeiristas don't seem to care, and when the wire most often comes out of an old tire, there probably isn't that much subtlety desired. The resonators are available in three sizes, from largest to smallest: gunga, médio, and viola. There also exist berimbaus with shorter bows for youngsters who can't handle the full weight upon their little fingers.