Chord & FretBaião · Cavaquinho
Baião (cavaquinho palhetada)
Sound summary
The Baião pattern is a chord strum for the cavaquinho, in 2/4 straight (even subdivisions): the chord (A) swings back and forth, down and up, and the muted hits (x) give it bounce. It sounds like this: A↓ (x) (A↓) A↑ (A↓) (x) A↓ (x).
How to count it
There are 2 beats per bar (2/4), split into sixteenth-notes (four per beat). Say the beats: 1 e & a, 2 e & a. Tap your foot on the strong beat and read the grid above: each cell is one subdivision.
The rhythm grid
A = chord · ↓ down-stroke · ↑ up-stroke · x = muted · (x) = ghost (light graze)
The ↓/↑ direction follows the bowed-string arcada convention (ᴨ down, V up; Ribeiro 2017). The muted and ghost strokes follow Cantalice 2022.
How to play it
Right hand
The hand strums the whole chord (A). The arm swings down (↓) and up (↑) in constant motion — the up-stroke catches the treble strings and is naturally lighter. On the (x), lay the hand on the strings as you strike — that muted “chka” is what lets the groove breathe.
Left hand
The left hand gives the harmony: hold the whole shape clean from start to finish, leaving the right hand to the rhythm. Make the change on the last beat, the hand already heading to the next chord. On the muted hits (x), ease the finger pressure without leaving the neck: the strings stop ringing but stay under the fingers, ready for the next chord.
Example in D7
With a D7D7D7D7 held, let the same chord ring under every stroke — close your eyes and follow just the right hand’s rhythm. Then change only the left-hand shape to take it into any song.
Common mistakes
- Letting the (x) ring like a note. It is percussion, not chord — if you don’t mute, the groove loses the “chka” that drives it.
- Weighing down the up-stroke. The up (↑) should just graze the thin strings; matching the down-stroke’s force thickens it and drags the time.
- Running the subdivisions. The faster the pattern, the easier to push ahead — lock the tempo on the metronome before speeding up.
- Letting the tempo drift. Without a firm pulse the strum leaks — count along and hold the same time from the first bar to the last.
Guided practice
- Down-strokes only. Strum the chord on every down-stroke (↓), no up-stroke yet.
- Add the up-stroke. Let the arm come back (↑) between hits — lighter, catching the treble strings.
- Add the mute. Bring in the x hits by resting the hand on the strings — that percussion is the bounce.
- Take it up on the metronome. Start slow, keep the pattern clean, and add a few BPM at a time.
You’ve got the theory; now the time has to enter the body. Play along with the audio, follow the count and raise the metronome bit by bit until every stroke lands in its place without rushing — Chord & Fret runs that drill with an adjustable tempo.
Open the trainer →Variations & related patterns
Once the strum is steady, play the same pattern over real Baião progressions. That trains rhythm, chord changes and voice-leading in one exercise — the Progressions by Rhythm feature in Chord & Fret.
See the genre’s progressions →The page explains; the real practice — repeating, timing on the metronome, listening, applying to progressions and reviewing — is in Chord & Fret. Save this pattern in your study to pick it up later, play offline and watch your progress.
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