Tamborim

The Tamborim is a single-headed small drum (about 6") very similar to a tombourine but with no jingles.

Is held with the left hand with the thumb across the ring and the other fingers curled inside the body of the instrument to support and balance it.
The forefinger is used to muffled the sound from inside (open/closed tone) during rhythmic syncopation.

Strike slightly off center using a thin stick with short and powerful strokes for best high pitch sound. 

A playing technique called virado is often used, in which the drum is flipped upside-down in the middle of the pattern, which produces one note that is slightly delayed, giving the samba its characteristic lilt.

The instrument may also occasionally be struck on the rim. Tamborim players alternate between the carreteiro, the main groove pattern, and other signature phrases which are easily distinguished above the other percussion instruments.

The tamborim is used in many genres of Brazilian music. It is most commonly associated with samba and pagode, but is also used in chorinho, bossa nova, and some northeastern folklore rhythms such as cucumbi.

In most musical styles, the tamborim is played with a small wooden drumstick. In samba-batucada, it is played with a beater made of several flexible nylon or polyacetal threads bound together. On rare occasions, it may be played with the fingers.