Traditional percussion pedagogy stresses evenness between notes and consistent subdivision right from the first lesson. However, in the realm of popular music, this evenness can impair performance, making common rhythmic patterns sound too flat or uninteresting. In such patterns, the listener’s interest is not only on the sequence of low and high pitches but in what ethnomusicologists call non-isochronous rhythms. This term refers to rhythms that are not equally distributed over time, and it is a resource utilized in genres such as the Viennese waltz and African djembe playing. Uneven pulse subdivision is an essential component of Brazilian samba rhythms, in which according to Naveda (2011) and Haugen (2020) the third and fourth subdivisions of the quarter note tend to be slightly anticipated. While Haugen classifies samba’s sixteenth notes on pandeiro according to its length (medium-long, short, medium-short, and long), Naveda exposes how this concept varies depending on the instrument that is playing (low-pitched instruments tend to delay the downbeat of each pulse). To date, no research has explored the consistency of the subdivision while accompanying different recordings or even if the performer can repeat the same subdivision consistently. An analysis of different musicians playing the same piece reveals that beat subdivision varies depending on parameters such as tempo, performance venue, and instrumentation. In my presentation, I will first illustrate the diversity of subdivisions used in Brazilian music through an analysis of Jacob do Bandolim’s Assanhado (1966) recordings. Secondly, I will demonstrate how the analysis presented informs my own performance of the piece on the vibraphone. This demonstration posits that subdivision placement, an oft-overlooked feature in music education and performance, is a vital aspect of musicality.