Capoeira is possibly the only martial art dependant on music. The game of Capoeira changes in intensity with the speed of the rhythm produced by the instruments. The main instruments that are played in the Batteria (the group of instruments at the entrance of the Roda) are the Berimbau, Pandiero (tambourine) and Atabaque (drum). The Berimbau is bow shaped, with one metal string attached between the two ends. It is played by hitting the string with a short stick, and pressing against the string with a stone to change the pitch of the note. As the instruments are played, the remaining people around the Roda clap to the rhythm and sing along with the music. Typically, the person playing the Berimbau also leads the song as the soloist, hence there are two parts to most songs.

• Berimbau

• Atabaque