Izzo Castle primary samba pack for 20 players

Introducing the Izzo samba classroom pack with Castle surdos

The Izzo samba pack is designed for group use and contains everything you need to play and teach samba music, all in one convenient package.

The samba pack is great for classroom use, providing students with an immersive and engaging musical experience, encouraging teamwork and collaboration, while also opening the door for students to explore and appreciate the diverse cultural elements embedded within this genre.

To make teaching samba even more efficient, the pack comes with a copy of The Beatlife - Playing and Teaching Samba book, which covers different samba instruments, rhythms and arrangements, along with guided tutorials on how to effectively teach samba in the classroom.

The Izzo brand

The Izzo brand represents authentic Brazilian percussion and is widely regarded as one of the top instrument manufacturers in Brazilian samba. Hailing from São Paulo, Izzo have been producing a wide range of instruments for over 60 years, and we are proud to be the sole importers of Izzo products.

Included in this pack

1x Izzo Castle surdos set of 3 (12", 14", 16")

The surdo is the largest and deepest drum in a samba ensemble and provides the essential heartbeat of the music. This set of three Castle surdos allows players to create layered bass rhythms across different pitches. Each drum features a single head design, allowing them to nest inside one another for easy storage and transport, making them particularly suitable for classroom use. The Napa heads help maintain a warm, resonant tone, while rubber feet protect both the drum and the floor when played on the ground.

5x Izzo ABS 6" tamborims with double prong samba sticks

The tamborim is a small, single-headed drum held in one hand and is responsible for fast, syncopated rhythms within the samba ensemble. These ABS models are lightweight, durable and produce a bright, cutting tone. They are played using double pronged sticks, allowing for precise and energetic rhythmic patterns.

5x Percussion Plus claves pairs

Claves are simple yet highly effective percussion instruments that produce a sharp, bright sound when struck together. They are easy to play, making them ideal for classroom use and beginner percussionists, while still playing an important role in keeping time.

3x Percussion Plus medium double agogo bells

The agogo bells are pairs of differently pitched metal bells that produce clear, bright tones. Played with a beater, they add lively rhythmic accents and melodic interest to the samba ensemble.

5x Percussion Plus metal shakers

These metal shakers produce a crisp, consistent sound and are ideal for maintaining the groove of the ensemble. Their simple design makes them accessible to all players while still contributing an essential rhythmic layer.

3x Wooden surdo mallets with soft heads

These beaters are ideal for use with surdos and other large drums. The soft heads produce a deep, rounded tone, helping to create the driving pulse at the core of samba music.

5x Izzo double plastic samba sticks

These double pronged samba sticks are particularly suited to tamborims and similar instruments. Their flexible design allows for a fast whipping motion, producing a crisp and articulate sound.

1x The Beatlife Book - Playing and Teaching Samba (with audio download)

Split into sections, this book explores samba instruments, rhythms and arrangements, along with guidance on delivering workshops and lessons. It also includes step by step examples and audio tracks, making it an excellent resource for classroom use.

Samba instrument care and maintenance

Izzo manufacture authentic Brazilian samba drums and percussion which they have been producing for over 60 years. Their instruments are widely used in schools, colleges and performing samba ensembles around the world. With the correct care and attention, these instruments should provide musical satisfaction and energetic performances for many years. Here are a few tips to help keep your samba instruments in optimal condition.

Before and after playing

We recommend wiping the drums and beaters down with a damp cloth, as well as inspecting the tuning adjusters on each drum to check for any loose nuts. As a part of this process, you can also monitor the tension of the heads. If you find that an adjuster has come loose or a head seems slack, loosen off the entire head to thumb-tight and then re-tune using the included mini spanner. The best way to do this evenly is to tune opposite pairs, and the following diagram will give you the correct order in which to tune various sizes of surdo, caixa, repinique and tamborim:

The schematic above demonstrates the correct order for tightening the nuts onto the hooks of a Surdo. This way the tension is spread most evenly. Start with all the nuts just finger tight and then tighten each nut in turn by half a turn starting with nut number 1, then 2, then 3 etc. When you've tightened all the nuts, check the tuning. If a higher pitch is needed, repeat the process again starting with nut number 1 by a quarter turn at a time and carry on until you're happy with the sound.

When tuning a set of three surdos 14", 16" and 18" start with the 18" and tighten it until the sound is nicely resonant not flat. Then tune the 16" until the pitch is higher than the 18". Finally tune the 14", again to a higher pitch than the 16".

If you're tuning more than one surdo of each size, tune all the 18" first, then all the 16" etc. Use the same order for tightening the nuts on the Caxia, Repeniques and Tamborims.