the six inch hand held drum plays the soprano voice in the samba school and, unlike its name would suggest, does not feature the tiny cymbals of the instrument known as the tambourine in english. chocalhos are a category of shaken percussion instruments which vary in style but are similar in usage.

typically seen are the ganzá, a metal tube filled with beads, famously seen played by president george w bush, and the soalheira or chapinha, a collection of small tambourine cymbals arranged in a way that they can be shaken in unison. chocalhos typically play the role of time-keepers in the bateria.