    

 
 
   
 
    

  
  
This sampler booklet is a collection of material that I have
compiled over the past 10 years into two full books. My goal with
this booklet is to present an accessible and pragmatic approach
to learning and understanding the instruments and basic rhythms
of Maracatu de Baque Virado, Forró and Baião. It s important for
!

me to point out that this is just a brief overview of two full length
in-depth books. I think that it s impossible to write a single book
!

that completely embodies a rhythm and culture as rich as

Maracatu, Forró and Baião however I have tried to present the
foundation in this sampler booklet to help you develop a
vocabulary that will enhance your understanding of these
rhythms and hopefully will inspire you to research and dig deeper
on your own.

In the following pages I ll share some of the rhythms and beats

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(baques) that I ve learned from my mentors and teachers in

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Recife, Brazil. I ll also share with you my own interpretations and

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variations that have evolved over the years of playing this music.

I hope that the material in this booklet will help deepen your
understanding of Maracatu, Forró and Baião and will inspire you
to further explore and study this music and culture. Remember
that this is just a guide to help get you started. There s no better
!

way to learn a style of music than going to the source and

drinking from the fountain. So when the spirit moves you...go to
Recife and learn with the masters who live and breathe this
music and culture on a daily basis.

Remember to have fun and keep an open mind while studying

this material.

-Scott Kettner
    
For years, most Americans have associated Brazil with samba,
overlooking the numerous regional rhythms and music styles which
are tremendously popular throughout Brazil. A perfect example is
Maracatu- a dynamic rhythm from the Northeast, propulsive and
dramatic, steeped in African traditions with heavy religious
overtones. In the last ten years, the biggest musical success story
out of Brazil has been the explosion of music from the economically
impoverished, culturally rich Northeast. World-famous musicians like
Chico Science and the Mangue beat movement that sprung up
around him used Maracatu as a springboard for contemporary
fusions in the same way that Jorge Ben Jor and other MPB artists
used samba a generation earlier.

Maracatu Nação or Maracatu de Baque Virado is a cultural

performance that derives from a ritual of the African slaves in Recife
(capital city of Pernambuco) approximately 400 years ago when they
crowned their own king inspired by the Portuguese colonizers. To this
day the crowning part of the ceremony still exists and a parade of
Maracatu de Baque Virado still symbolizes the royal court
accompanied by a percussion group representing slaves.

The origins of Maracatu can be traced back to the Reis do Congo

(Kings of Congo) procession. The institution of the Kings of Congo
(or Reis Negros i.e. Black Kings) existed in colonial Brazil from the
second half of the 17th century until the abolition of slavery, in 1888.
The King of Congo was a black African (slave or freeman) who acted
as an intermediary between the government (Portuguese or, after
independence, Brazilian) and the African slaves. He was expected to
control and keep peace among his "pupils." From this institution,
which existed throughout Brazil, different folk manifestations evolved
in several regions of the country. It was in Pernambuco that the
culture and music of Maracatu de Baque Virado evolved, and to this
day still plays an important role in the community.
   
The caixa might be one of the hardest instruments in maracatu to pin down to
a basic pattern since there are so many variations, rolls, sticking patterns and
feels. Some traditional maracatu nations use two caixas which play different
roles and different patterns. They are called the “tarol” and the “caixa de
guerra”. The tarol is generally a shallow snare drum similar to a piccolo snare
and the caixa de guerra is usually deeper and similar to a standard snare
drum found on a drum set.
Here we ll take a look at some of the caixa de guerra patterns and variations.
!

Please take note that while these patterns may provide an insight into the way
the traditional maracatu nations play, they are taken out of their traditional
context and have been adapted for you to use as a springboard to learn the
basic patterns and feels of playing maracatu. I always emphasize that you must
go to the “source” if you want to learn how to play these rhythms in a “traditional”
context. So start here and then go to Recife and learn from the masters!

Baque de Marcação

 
R R LR R LR L R R LR R L R L R R LR R LR L R R LR R L R L

Baque de Imalê

 
R LR L R LR L R R L R R LR L R LR L R LR L R R L R R LR L

Baque de Imalê variation #1

 
R L R L R L R R L R R L R L R L R L R L R R L R R L R L

Baque de Imalê variation #2

 
R L R L R L R L R R L R R R R L R L R L R L R R L R R R
Baque de Martelo

 
R R L R R L R L R R L R R R R L R R L R L R R L R R
   
In this section we ll take a look at some of the different Baques   (beats)
!

used in maracatu. It s important to note that the names of these Baques

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come from the traditional group from Recife, Maracatu Nação Estrela
Brilhante unless otherwise noted. Each nação  (nation/group) has different
names for each baque and play different variations of these rhythms.

Pay close attention to the sticking patterns and accents. This is very
important to the feel and swing of these rhythms. The “strong” hand
always holds a large wooden mallet while a smaller stick is held in the
“weak” hand, therefore further emphasizing the accents in each baque.

Baque de Marcação

 
R LR LR R LR LR R LR LR R LR LR

Baque de Imalê

 
R L R LR LR R L R LR LR R L R LR LR R L R LR LR

Baque de Martelo

 
LRRL R LRR L LRRL R LRR L LRRL R LRR L LRRL R LRR L

Baque de Arrasto

 
R LR LR LR R LR LR LR R LR LR LR R LR LR LR

 Baque de Parada

 
R LR LR R LR LR R LR LR R R LR RLRRL RL R

R R LR R LR RL RL R R R LR R LR RL R L R R L R LR RL R L
   
Baque de Marcação

Agogô/
Gonguê

Abê

 3  3 3 3

Caixa

Alfaia
     
Here s a few ideas for orchestrating some of the maracatu rhythms on the
!

drum set. Start of simple by applying the alfaia to the bass drum and the
caixa parts to the snare drum. Then you can begin adding the gonguê
pattern on the hi hat. After you feel comfortable with this, stretch out a little
and play the agogo bell pattern on the ride cymbal while keeping the alfaia
and gonguê patterns in the feet. This frees up your right hand to play more
freely on the snare drum and/or the toms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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     
It s impossible to describe the cultural and musical origins of Forró and
!

Baião in this short sampler booklet but I will do my best to summarize

these styles as best I can with the limited space.

Forró and Baião are two closely related rhythms that are very popular in
the northeast of Brazil, mostly in the state of Pernambuco. Forró is
known as a dance, a rhythm, a party and the actual genre which acts as
the umbrella for other rhythms such as Baião, Xoté, Xaxado and Arrasta
Pé. It is believed that this music was influenced by European dance
music such as the Polka, Mazurka, Schottische and Quadrille as well as
Embolada and Coco rhythms and song styles which root from the
African ancestors who settled in the northeastern region of Brazil. Forró
music is celebrated during the Festa Juninha   (June Festival), a part of
Brazilian culture which celebrates some of the Catholic saints during a
festival known as São João.

There are subtle rhythmic and syncopated differences between Baião

and Forró but the most important and definitive difference is the open-
closed pattern played on the top half of the zabumba, a double headed
bass drum played with a mallet on the top side and a small switch on
the bottom side, similar to a tapan drum. Examples are on the next
page..

The instrumentation of a traditional forró band normally include any of

the following instruments in any combination:
zabumba, cane flute, accordion, fiddle, triangle, pandeiro, agogo,
shaker and singers.

Over the past 10 years that I ve been studying this music I ve noticed a
! !

lot of strong rhythmic and cultural similarities between Forró and

Zydeco, Cajun, New Orleans Second Line and African American Drum
and Fife music. The following pages will explore Forró music in it s !

traditional context and then we ll orchestrate these rhythms on the drum

!

set. From there I ll present a few ways of combining Forró and New
!

Orleans rhythms together to give you some ideas for integrating a fresh
a roach to a l in these rh thms to the drum set.
 = open note with mallet on top side
x = switch stick with left hand on bottom side
Zabumba
 
 

 

 
Triangle



 
15

 

17 

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    
  

 

 

 

HH

 

HH

 

HH
 

HH
 
     
Recife and New Orleans share a lot in common musically, culturally and
historically. Both cities were major slave ports that brought a diversity of
people from Africa whom after many hard years found a way to blend their
musical heritage with the Indigenous tribes and the European settlers.
This unfortunate event created unique musical and cultural hybrids in both
Recife and New Orleans that still remain the foundation of the music in
both cities today. Below are a few examples of blending New Orleans bell
patterns with Maracatu and Forró rhythms. These are just a few examples
so don t limit yourself to these and keep exploring more options and
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connections with other styles of music from around the world.



 

 

 

 

 

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  
When Scott Kettner looks at a map, he sees a direct line that
connects the rivers of northeastern Brazil to the parishes of New
Orleans and the streets of Brooklyn. A master percussionist,
bandleader, producer and songwriter, Kettner is the guiding force
behind Nation Beat, a band whose teeming, vibrant rhythms find
common ground in the primal maracatu rhythms of Brazil s !

northeastern region, the Big Easy s funky, hypnotic second-line and

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strolling Mardi Gras Indians, and the unfettered freedom of big-city

downtown jazz.

No less an icon than Willie Nelson, who invited Nation Beat to

perform at his 2008 Farm Aid concert, proclaimed, “ After I heard
their CD I became a fan and I was overwhelmed by their music.”
Equally enthusiastic was writer David R. Adler of Philadelphia
Online, who described Nation Beat as “ a pan-hemispheric, post-
colonial party; a rootsy rhythm riot, conceived in bright colors and
infectious melodies.”

 
Aaron Shafer-Hass: Assistance with maracatu transcriptions.
Billy Hart: For introducing the maracatu rhythm to me.

A very special thanks to Jorge Martins, Dona Marivalda, Mestre

Walter and the entire community of Maracatu Nação Estrela
Brilhante for opening their music and culture to me.

www.scottkettner.com