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I'm learning pandeiro at the moment, and having trouble with the 'trill' stroke, where you run a finger across the head of the pandeiro and it vibrates the jingles. All my finger does is slide - how much pressure do you need to apply, and is there a way to built up to doing this one?

I've been trying different pressures, different angles, different fingers, but nothing has worked so far.

I have access to a good pandeiro player locally and he's shown me how, but I still can't get it and feel a bit silly to keep asking for a demo.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

First I would tell you never be ashamed to ask that is how you learn, even if you ask 20 times it should not matter. A 'good" teacher should show you patience in his teaching,and if he has a "method" to his teaching. the 'Trill" as you call it, as I was shown, by the great Paolinho DaCosta,was done by using his middle finger and pressing into the skin in a figure 8 motion. It is hard to do but with enough practice you just might get it. I also use my thumb around the edge of the Pandiero and press in also when doing it and that should "shake" the jingles on the pandiero. I forget their real name. Start from the middle bottem and go around the edge ,if necessary dampen your thumb with a bit of spit but not much,press and push the finger. Let me know if it works ok?....At your Service... JC JOHNNY CONGA....

I don't know if this will work on Pandeiro, but here's a little secret from my past:

Classical musicians play that same trill on tambourine. It's called for in a number of orchestral peices. The secret is get a lump of beeswax and put just a little around the edge of the head. The beeswax is not heavy enough to change the sound of the head (if you don't overdo it), but it gives the head a little bit of grip when you slide your finger accross it.

Like I said, I don't know if it will work on Pandeiro. Also, I don't think it will work on a plastic head. It works very well on skin heads though.

Zach

yeah, all you need is practise, for me, i cant really do it with my right hand since my fingernales are longer than they should be(i play guitar and need nails), so i use my thumb, on the pandeiro, for plastic heads it helps if your finger is a little moist, sticky moist that is, so when you rub the pandeiro, it vibrates along because your finger jumps a little from the friction..anyways hope this helps even a little..

Thanks for your answers JC, 120decibels and timo!

I've improved over the last week or so, and found that if I bring my finger in at quite a steep angle to the pandeiro, I can get enough friction to make my finger skip along the head.

I appreciate the help! Muito obrigada.