Surdo - Purchase advice

Tips and information to keep in mind when buying a surdo: height, diameter, material... All you should know before buy your instrument.

Short or high body? (40cm, 50cm or 60cm high)

Short surdos are also also called Surdo Axé or Surdo Bahia. They originate in Brazil's Northeast being played in the Samba Reggae but nowadays are increasingly being played in Rio's samba schools.

Important criteria for the correct choice is sound, weight and wearing comfort.

-sound:

the height of the body has an effect on the sustain: the higher the body the longer the sustain. If you want an extra long sustain a high surdo is the right choice, but a lower surdo has nevertheless sufficient sustain.

-weight:

The height of the shell has of course an immense influence on the total weight of the drum. The difference is approx. 1 kg dependent on diameter and manufacturer.

-wearing comfort:

If a shoulder belt with one hook is used a high surdo will hang in a perfect playing position without being too tilted. Short surdos are played best in front of your body perfectly held with a hip belt and two beaters, and without constantly banging against your shins.

Which diameter?

Surdos are available in the sizes 14'' to 29''. In general one can say that small diameters are suitable for high tuning whereas large diameters are better in achieving deeper tones. The most common sizes are 18'', 20'' and 22'' surdos. Smaller drums (14'' and 16'') are perfect for children and juveniles or are used as the so called ''Surdo Mor (16'') played in the Mangueira. A 24'' surdo sounds fantastic in the deep tones, so if you are able to handle the weight, this surdo would be a good option. 26'' or 29'' surdos sound great but are only for ''big boys/girls'' since they seem to weigh tons especially when you have to carry them!

Wood or aluminium?

Wooden shells create warm and full tones whereas aluminium shells sound sharper and have much more overtones. The choice of the head has more influence on the sound of the drum than the material of the shell. Surdos made out of aluminium are more sturdy and ideal for playing in a samba band. Wooden surdos are perfect for Pagode, rhythmical therapy or studio work. The Brazilian Blocos and Samba schools definitely prefer aluminium surdos.

Which head?

The choice of the right heads is essential for the sound of your surdo:

- goat skin heads are preferred if a full and warm tone with a long sustain is requested. They are used as drum and resonance heads in the Samba schools.

- nylon/synthetic heads have a sharp and singing tone and are rather rich in overtones.

Their sound is occasionally regarded as too thin, but within the context of a samba band this tone is needed especially for the high surdo voices.

- korino/napa heads are double layered heads with a white nylon bottom and (mostly black) synthetic leather top. They create a typical fat and full sound with very little overtones and short sustain. This head is not really suitable for the high surdo voices and should not be played on too many surdos in a band as the sound pattern tends to get too muffled.

Source: Kalango