Getting Started with SimplySamba

About this resource

SimplySamba – Information for Teachers

Samba resources originally featured in the Musical Futures special initiative funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation in 2004 – these were designed by the pathfinder team from Nottingham City Music Service who integrated them into Musical Futures work in response to students wanting to experience ‘all kinds of music’.

Building on these initial resources from the Nottingham City Musical Futures pathfinder team, SimplySamba is designed to give students the opportunity to learn non-Western music via aural/oral learning, leading to a performance as a world-music ensemble.

They aim for as ‘authentic’ an experience as is possible, within the confines of a classroom with the resources providing a starting point for introducing samba drumming into the classroom.

Two separate samba pieces – Rio and Carnival – are available for use with full demonstrations of all the samba rhythms – including the introduction and ending using the interactive playalongs.  The video playalongs not only allow students to follow a simple graphic score but to learn by listening and copying the samba rhythms.

SimplySamba focuses on developing musical skills in the following areas:

• Finding and keeping the pulse
• Playing together and keeping in time
• Responding to signals for start and stop
• Following a simple animated graphic score using samba instruments
• Developing a shared musical understanding of how a samba piece is constructed e.g.
  1. Introduction
  2. Full band play Rio or Carnival rhythms
  3. Whistle used to indicate a break (e.g. all stop for 4 beat/crescendo break/solo section)
  4. Repeat 2-3 several times over
  5. Ending
• Encouraging listening to one another and if necessary to stop, listen and re-join the group