Introducing the Izzo Castle samba classroom pack for 20 players

The Izzo Samba pack is designed to be used by 20 players and contains everything you need to play and teach samba music, all in one convenient package.

The Samba pack is great for classroom use, providing students with an immersive and engaging musical experience, encouraging team work and collaboration, while also opening the door for students to explore and appreciate the diverse cultural elements embedded within this genre.

To make teaching samba even more efficient, the pack comes with a FREE copy of 'The Beatlife - playing and teaching samba' book which covers different samba instruments, rhythms and arrangements, along with guided tutorials on how to effectively teach samba in the classroom.

The Izzo brand

The Izzo brand represents authentic Brazilian percussion and is widely regarded as one of the top instrument manufacturers in Brazilian Samba. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Izzo have been producing a wide range of high quality instruments for over 60 years, and we are proud to say we are the sole importers of Izzo products.

Typically included in this pack

The surdo is a large cylindrical drum with a deep shell. It is played in a variety of ways and most often with one soft padded beater and an open hand to dampen the sound, or alternatively with two beaters in either hand. The shell of the drum is made with aluminium, both adding to the sound and the durability of the instrument.

The repinique, a medium-sized cylindrical drum, adds a lively and dynamic voice to the Samba ensemble. Also known as repique, repeke or reps, the repinique is played with one hard drumstick and an open hand, delivering crisp and resonant tones. For more intricate rhythms and versatility, some drummers employ the traditional technique of using one stick in each hand. The repinique is worn from a shoulder strap, usually around waist high and slightly tilted to the player’s right side.

*Colour varies depending on stock availability*

The tamborim, a small single-headed drum held in one hand, adds intricate and lively rhythms to the Samba ensemble. It is played using a double or triple pronged stick or whip, allowing for precise and vibrant percussive patterns. The player holds the tamborim with one hand whilst using the stick in their dominant hand.

*Colour varies depending on stock availability*

Looking similar to a tambourine, the pandeiro drum has metal jingles attached to its shell. It is played by hand and creates a variety of interesting sounds and fast rhythms to colour samba music.

The agogo bells are pairs of differently pitched metal funnel shaped bells, one high and one low, that are played with a wooden stick and create melodic accents with a distinct, lively timbre.

The samba whistle makes a loud, high-pitched sound and is perfect for setting the pace of the piece, signalling a change, or to simply get everyone's attention.

Split into 4 sections, this book covers different samba instruments, rhythms and arrangements as well as advice on how to deliver a workshop or lesson with an appendices containing a teachers guide, glossary and pages to create your own rhythms.

There are also 6 different samba rhythms broken down into basic and advanced versions with step by step recorded examples.

These double pronged plastic samba sticks are particularly suited to the smaller tamborims and pandeiros but can be used for most samba drums in general. Their light, flexible design ensures a fast whipping action that produces a crisp, loud and clear tone.

The samba whistle makes a loud, high-pitched sound and is perfect for setting the pace of the piece, signalling a change, or to simply get everyone's attention.

The 5A drumsticks are made from good quality white maple with tear drop shaped wooden tips and a small body making them lightweight and easy to use.

This simple yet effective metal shaker produces a wonderful crisp sound when shaken and is the perfect fun addition to a samba band.

This beater is perfect for use with surdos and other large samba drums. While plastic beaters provide a sharp crack of sound, these beaters generate the thudding heartbeat at the core of samba music.

Samba instrument care and maintenance

Izzo manufacture quality, authentic Brazilian samba drums and percussion which they have been doing for over 60 years. Their products are hugely popular in schools, colleges and with performing samba ensembles the world over. With the correct care and attention, these instruments should provide musical satisfaction and energetic performances for many years. Here are just a few tips to keep your samba gear in optimal condition.

Before and after playing

We recommend wiping the drums and beaters down with a damp cloth, as well as inspecting the tuning adjusters on each drum to check for any loose nuts. As a part of this process, you can also monitor the tension of the heads. If you find that an adjuster has come loose or a head seems slack, loosen off the entire head to thumb-tight and then re-tune using the included mini spanner. The best way to do this evenly is to tune opposite pairs, and the following diagram will give you the correct order in which to tune various sizes of surdo, caixa, repinique and tamborim:

The schematic above demonstrates the correct order for tightening the nuts onto the hooks of a Surdo. This way the tension is spread most evenly. Start with all the nuts just finger tight and then tighten each nut in turn by half a turn (starting with nut number 1, then 2, then 3 etc.). When you've tightened all the nuts, check the tuning. If a higher pitch is needed, repeat the process (again starting with nut number 1) by a quarter turn at a time and carry on until you're happy with the sound.

When tuning a set of three surdos (14", 16" and 18") start with the 18" and tighten it until the sound is nicely resonant (not "flat"). The tune the 16" until the pitch is higher than the 18". Finally tune the 14", again to a higher pitch than the 16".

If you're tuning more than one surdo of each size, tune all the 18" first, then all the 16" etc. Use the same order for tightening the nuts on the Caxia, Repeniques and Tamborims.