Cyro Zuzi’s journey started in thrash metal, but a deep dive into Brazil’s drumming traditions led him to study for five years under master drummer Douglas Las Casas. As director of the Bish Bash Bosh percussion school, Cyro has spent years passing on the rhythmic traditions that shaped him. In this lesson, Cyro breaks down the syncopated vocabulary of Brazilian samba in a simple, mathematical way that any drummer can understand.

Listen to the samba demo at the start of this video and it might sound complicated. But as Cyro explains, by doing a few exercises where your accents are put onto certain beats of the bar, you’ll eventually have the entire vocabulary of syncopated variations needed to play exactly what he did. Once the mystery is revealed, it might not feel like an artform reserved only for those studying years with percussion masters in Rio de Janeiro.

World Music Method offers drum courses across Brazilian and Congolese styles plus Colombian and Spanish percussion. Explore our collection below, or try our 7-day trial membership to access everything. Remember – we’re a small and supportive organisation happy to guide your musical studies. Edd Bateman can respond to any questions you’ve got via email at info@worldmusicmethod.com

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