 The pandeiro is a wooden rim about a foot across with seven or eight small metal cymbals set in it. Stretched across the rim with pins is a skin which is played like a drum with one hand. The skin is traditionally made from snake or goat skin however modern materials have once again replaced the older and harder to find materials. The modern-day tambourine is a more than adequate substitute. The pandeiro's role in the music is to accentuate the deep heavy beat of the atabaque with its higher and sharper tone. The cymbals create a rich texture in its beat and though played with only one hand an experienced player can create extremely fast improvisations combined with the beat of the drum. It is one of the essential instruments in a roda. | 