Baião guitar rhythm
The baião guitar rhythm, from northeastern Brazil, follows the zabumba drum: in 2/4, a downstroke on 1, an upstroke on the last sixteenth of 1 and a downstroke on the "&" of 2 (↓ . . ↑ . . ↓ .). Beat 1 and the upstroke are accented: that is the baião syncopation.
Now G Next C
2/4- downstroke
- upstroke
- > accent (louder)
- · the hand moves in the air without strumming
Step by step
The whole pattern, with the accents.
Chords
Space bar: play/stop
The pattern as a table
| Beat | 1 | e | & | a |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ↓, accent | · | · | ↑, accent |
| 2 | · | · | ↓ | · |
How to play it
- The hand moves down and up in sixteenth notes all the time (four motions per beat) and only touches the strings on the three hits of the cell.
- Accent the upstroke: it is what makes it baião.
- Baião harmony often uses the mixolydian scale: a major chord with a flat seventh (G with F, for example).
Common mistakes
- Stopping the hand between strums: the upstroke comes late.
- Playing the upstroke halfway through the beat (like an eighth note): it falls on the last sixteenth, right before 2.
Play along
Frequently asked questions
Is baião in 2/4?
Yes: baião is written in duple time (2/4), and the rhythm cell takes one bar.
Where does the baião rhythm come from?
From the zabumba, the bass drum of forró: the accent on the downbeat and on the fourth sixteenth of the first beat. The guitar repeats that cell while the triangle keeps the sixteenth notes going.