 The Berimbau is the predominant instrument in capoeira and dictates the rhythm and nature of the game taking place in the Roda. The berimbau is made of a hard wooden bow, approximately 1.5 meters long, known as a verga and is strung with a steel wire called an arame which is usually taken from an old tyre. To produce the resonating sounds of the berimbau, a gourd is attached. This gourd is usually made from a dried calabash and is known as a cabaça. A caxixì (a shaker/rattle) is used along with a wooden stick about 35 cm long known as a baqueta. The baqueta strikes the string of the berimbau to produce its sound. Used in conjunction with these a media (coin) or a dobrão (stone) is pressed against the arame to produce different notes. There are three types of berimbau: The Bera-boi or Gunga which has the deepest sound, plays the role of the bass; it keeps the rhythm and plays the basic theme. The gunga is also the largest of the three berimbau. The Medió (also called centro, berimbau de centro or berimbau médio) compliments the gunga by maintaining the rhythm and is the middle size, mid range berimbau. The viola or violinha is the berimbau that has the sharpest sound; it is responsible for the syncopation or the improvisation. The berimbau viola has been described as being the most difficult to play. The rhythms produced by the berimbau, known as toques control the movement within the roda. Depending on the rhythm, the participants of the jogo de capoeira (game of capoeira) can play slow and treacherous, fast and aggressive or open and harmonious. There are many different toques de berimbau and some are common to all schools, while others are played only by certain groups. In the roda, the one who ''talks'' loudest is the berimbau! The other instruments accompany or conduct the ritme, and may never cover the sound of the berimbau. | 