Learn how to use the Forró Sequencer in five steps. No music theory required — just click and play.
Choose one of the three traditional forró percussion instruments:
Select TODOS / ENSEMBLE to hear all three instruments playing together.
Click one of the preset buttons to load a traditional pattern into the grid. The sequencer starts with Baião loaded by default.
Available rhythms: Baião, Xote, Forró, Xaxado, Coco, and Rastapé. Each preset also sets the tempo to its traditional BPM.
All rhythm names are Portuguese — they refer to specific dance and music styles from northeastern Brazil. They are not translated.
Hit the TOCAR / PLAY button to start the rhythm. You'll see the step indicator moving across the grid and hear the pattern.
You can also adjust BPM precisely with the slider or the +/− buttons.
Click any cell in the grid to cycle through the available sounds for that track. Each click advances to the next state:
The legend below the grid shows the color coding for each sound.
Editing a cell clears the active preset highlight — your pattern is now custom. Load a preset again to reset.
Use + COMPASSO / + BAR to add bars for longer patterns. Remove with − COMPASSO / − BAR.
Toggle grid resolution:
The foundational rhythm of forró, created by Luiz Gonzaga and Humberto Teixeira in the 1940s.
The slowest forró rhythm, derived from the European schottische.
The genre's namesake rhythm. Faster than baião with a busier bacalhau pattern.
Originally a war dance of the cangaceiros (bandits) of northeastern Brazil.
A circle-dance rhythm from the coast of northeastern Brazil.
The fastest forró style — high-energy and exhilarating.
Select ENSEMBLE → pick BAIÃO → press PLAY. You'll hear the full trio instantly.
The sequencer is available in Portuguese and English.