Cuíca

The Cuíca is a friction drum ( friction drum ) Brazilian music. It usually consists of a metal cylinder, which is covered on one side with a leather. In the leather, a small bamboo stick is included, by which the membrane is made ​​to vibrate and which is located within the instrument body. For the occasionally voiced suspicion that it was in the stringing of the instrument to cat fur or cat skin, can be found in the Brazilian literature no evidence.

The size of the instrument varies from tinned food to cleaning bucket size (10-20 cm height). Beautifully made instruments are made ​​of brass and have at the top of several bell.

Be large, not portable instruments with a diameter of 50 cm and more also called Lion's Roar ( eg used in the opera Three Sisters by Péter Eötvös ).

The Cuíca is worn by the player with one arm at chest height with the support of a shoulder strap. By rubbing the rod with a damp piece of cloth or leather emerge squeaky sounds. The pitch varies the musicians by pressure of the thumb or finger of the other hand on the fur. The instrument is typically used for Samba music. From simple rhythmic structures to entire melodies Cuíca offers a variety of expressions.

A similar instrument in Western Europe is the hum pot.

• Membranophone
• Brazilian musical instrument