A word about surdos
Saturday, January 7th, 2006
A Word About Surdos is one of the best resources on the surdo (Brazilian bass drum) around. It covers choosing, finding, buying, playing, maintaining, and more.
The surdo is the heart of any samba band but it can be used with any kind of music and when you put a few together you can really bring the house down.
In this image I’m playing a Contemporania surdo, 20″ diameter, red wooden shell with a “napa” head. Napa is a naugahyde head over plastic and it makes for a deeper, boomier, richer sound. I’m using a Remo slider strap to suspend it. The single beater I’m using is a thick dowel with a 2″ soft padded head.
Places to buy surdos and other Brazilian instruments
Contemporanea Drums
RMV Brazilian Instruments at LP web site
