How to practice São Bento Pequeno on a real berimbau
Play this toque on a real berimbau. Allow the microphone, calibrate your tones, then follow the scrolling note track. The app scores pitch in cents against your calibration and whether you hit on time. Microphone audio never leaves the browser.
Exercises use the three core berimbau tones: ◯ dom (open, stone off the string), ⊗ chi (buzz, light stone), and ⬤ dim (closed, stone on the string).
The pattern inverts Angola’s high and low tones. If the swap feels unfamiliar, warm up chi and dim in the Sandbox first.
The preview above is a 30-second guest demo — no account. Sign up to save sessions and practice the full exercise catalog.
What is the São Bento Pequeno berimbau toque?
São Bento Pequeno is also described as inverted Angola, because it swaps the high and low tones of the Angola pattern. Wikipedia and CapoeiraWiki note that the médio often plays it as a contra-toque (an inversion of the gunga) while Angola is played on the gunga.
How does São Bento Pequeno feel in the roda?
A close, relatively fast game compared with Angola. The dialogue sits tighter between the two players rather than opening into a wide, slow circle.
Also known as
- Inverted Angola
- São Bento Pequeno de Angola
Sources
Paraphrased from Wikipedia, CapoeiraWiki, and Capoeira Shop (Regional). Schools differ on how each toque is played; this is not a teaching method.