Drum Circle

Hand drumming is an ancient art form, and the conga is no exception. The term 'conga' is an American translation for the Cuban drum term 'tumbadora'. Popularized when Latin and salsa music made its way into America, the conga drum is an easy to enjoy instrument. Anyone who picks up a conga drum will want to spend hours tapping away and experimenting with sounds. Although it may look like a simple instrument to pick up, playing the congas requires a certain technique that you can learn through practice.

Choose your conga drum by experimenting with several different types. You can buy wood or fiberglass congas. There are also different sizes of congas, and each size will produce a different sound. A Conguero will play up to 3 congas at a time, and each drum will have a different chord.

As you play your conga drum, you will find that you can create several different sounds and pitches. Begin learning to play by experimenting on your own. Slap down on the drum in the center with your palm, or tap the outside edges with your fingertips. You'll develop an ear for pitch and different sounds as you progress.

There are 5 simple strokes for playing congas. Using 4 fingers near the rim of the drum, you can create a clear, melodic sound. If you strike the same 4 fingers against the drum and hold them, you create a slightly muffled sound. These tones are otherwise known as open and muffled strokes. To achieve these tones, you can also hit the drum in a similar fashion with your knuckles, recoiling upward as you rhythmically beat the drum.

Bass tones are slightly different in that you use your full palm while beating the drum. Striking in this way can produce a low register, quiet sound. Alter your beats with finger taps to produce rhythm.

Slapping the drum creates a loud, snapping sound. Slapping is one of the hardest strokes to master, as you must cup your hand a specific way in order to create the right sound. Slapping can involve your fingers as well as the heel of your hand, and you can alternate fingers and heel to create a fast beat.

Touching is the last stroke, and involves simply touching the drumhead. As with slapping, you can alternate the fingers and the heel of the hand to achieve different sounds.

When playing the conga, you can get your entire body into the mix. Bend forward with your elbows to allow more pressure on your hands and you can create new sounds.

As you progress as a conga player, you can learn to use several congas together. Conga players have been known to beat on three drums and a bongo, creating a symphony of sound.

By tuning your conga, you can create different pitches of sound. Congas of the past were tuned by heating the skin on the drumhead. Fiberglass congas now have a screw and lug system, and you can adjust the tightness by adjusting the screws. Tune your conga in a clockwise rotation, adjusting for tone and pitch.

Practice is the key to becoming a successful conga player. Hand drumming has the reputation of looking simple, but to achieve a rhythm and accompany other musicians you will need to learn how to play properly. Remember, master conguero Armando Peraza, in an effort to fill a spot in a New York band, picked up the conga in one afternoon. Let yourself experience the music, and you will pick it up in no time.

Photo credit to Flickr member matravnos

Labels: Armando Peraza, conga, conga.drum, conga.drums, congas

Not unlike the pioneers of rock and roll, famous conguero are responsible for much of the beat in percussion we enjoy today. In this article, we recognize a handful of many famous conga players for their popular beats in both modern music as well as great music from the past.

Ray Barretto is one of the most recognized conga players. He's been called the Godfather of Latin Jazz or the King of Hard Hands. During his career in New York and beyond, he not only provided conga accompanying to bands like the Rolling Stones, he also scored his own hits such as "El Watusi." Barretto was an accomplished recording artist, and eventually went on to win a Grammy for one of his albums. His career spanned both the creation of a fusion band as well as multiple solo efforts. The unique style that Barretto displayed when playing the congas translated into his future influence over both Latin jazz and salsa.

If you enjoy the soothing beats of two or three congos at one time, you have Candido Camero to thank. Camero hailed from Cuba and moved to New York to work with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie. Originally congueros played one drum at a time, but Candido choose to play two or three congas, along with a side bongo. Candido is still wowing the crowds at the age of 88, as he tours New York.

Armando Peraza is a Cuban percussionist with long time ties to modern music through Carlos Santana and jazz pianist George Shearing. Peraza was a young man with no experience when, looking to fulfill a spot in a band that needed a conga player, he taught himself the conga in one afternoon. Peraza is a long-standing member of the group Santana, and has also played with Peggy Lee and Eric Clapton.

Carlos 'Patato' Valdes was not so much a recording artist as he was an instrumental part in creating the modern conga drum. Valdes pioneered the metal ring that is affixed to the body of the conga, which allowed the user to tighten the skin in order to provide proper tuning of the instrument. His invention was patented under the name "Patato" model, and is used by modern bands to this day. Created from fiberglass, the Patato design is for a tall drum with a wide belly and small bottom. Valdes is also known for pioneering a melodic drum sound.

All of these players have mastered the art of creating conga rhythms that entrance the listener. For more information:

LP Patato Model Congas
LP Accents Armando Peraza Series Congas
LP Candido Camero Conga

Labels: Armando Peraza, Candido Camero, conga, conga.drums, congas, LP, Patato, Ray Barretto

All congas may look similar but they are not created equal! Although most congas are manufactured in Bangkok, Latin Percussion congas (including the brands LP, LP Matador & LP Aspire & CP) are quite unique. Every detail of the design and construction of Latin Percussion congas is the result of collaboration with the world's greatest designers, musicians and craftsmen. With 40 years of experience, LP has learned to pay attention to even the smallest detail. You might wonder what makes an LP brand conga superior. Hopefully, the following information will answer the big question: Why buy Latin Percussion?
In this first part we'll take a look at the type of wood used and creation of the conga. Part two will go into detail regarding the LP finish and the type of hardware. Lastly, we'll follow up with a brief summary. So lets start from the beginning and go through the production process.

The Beginning...The Wood

Several types of wood are used in making the different models of wood congas. Whatever type of wood that is used, the most important characteristics are sound quality, strength and durability.

Latin Percussion congas are made from plantation grown wood. By using renewable resources LP protects the world's forests. This helps insure adequate wood supply to produce congas for generations to come. The wood is sorted and graded; only top quality wood is used. LP brand congas must not only look good but also stand up to diverse climates and vigorous playing conditions.

The wood used in LP brand congas is kiln (oven) dried. Why is that important? Using kiln-dried wood allows LP to control the wood's moisture content level during the manufacturing process. Wood, even after it is harvested, expands and contracts. The wood used to manufacture all fine wood instruments, including congas, must have just the right moisture content level to help prevent the instrument from cracking and breaking. LP congas are played by the world's most demanding players in all seasons and climates, in every region of the world, using kiln dried wood helps the conga stand up to many different environmental and playing conditions.

The Creation...Conga In The Raw


The width of the stave is important. Latin Percussion congas use more staves compared to other manufacturers. Using more staves does add cost to the process but the benefits are great; because the stress on each stave is reduced, creating a stronger and durable drum. The staves are glued together using several layers of thin wood, called plies. (LP and LP Matador brand congas use three ply and LP Aspire brand use two-ply). The reason for this is it reduces the stress on each piece of wood making the drum stronger and more durable. If one was to use one thick piece of wood, and bend it to shape, it would likely break or crack. Congas are curved by design, so the wood must have the ability to be shaped without breaking or cracking.

By using plies and layering them with specially formulated glue, LP Music Group creates a strong and durable foundation. After years of research, LP has developed special glue for each type of wood. The glue is applied to the plies in a sandwich manner. It is then placed on a form in the shape of a conga, and a specially designed press applies tons of pressure, bending the staves. An ultrasonic tool is also used to help cure the glue.


Each stave is then finished with a precision compound miter edge. This guarantees that the staves will nest together snugly during the construction process. Holes are then punched on each side of the staves and steel pins are in-serted into the holes. Steels pins do two things: (1) they make the assembly of the drum easier, and (2) they add strength to the conga, eliminating the need for exterior bands and ensuring durability of the shell.

Other manufacturers use exterior metal bands rather than steel pins to strengthen their congas. A wood conga is constantly expanding and contracting, and when the wood expands it puts pressure on the metal band, and enlarges it. When the wood later contracts, the metal band becomes loose. Keep in mind you won't see a loose band, but you certainly will hear it rattle when the drum is played!

Once the staves have been cut, a skilled craftsman sorts them, carefully matching the curve of the drum. The staves are then numbered and positioned for production. Glue is applied to the sides of the staves, and the conga is assembled by hand, stave by stave.

With the glue moist, and the staves nested together, the drum is ready for another custom press. This press applies temporary gluing rings in three different positions on the conga. The rings secure the staves in place until the glue is cured.

Once the gluing rings are removed, the drum is placed on a custom lathe (a machine that holds and spins the drum). While the drum is spinning, an automatic tracing tool re-fines the shape, cutting off the excess glue and wood edges, preparing the conga for the finishing processes.


Up Next: Part II (The LP Finish & Hardware)

Labels: conga.drums, conga.staves, congas, CP, latin.percussion, latin.percussion.brands, latin.percussion.congas, LP, LP.Aspire, lp.congas, LP.Matador, wood.congas

So, you're in the market for a new set of congas, bongos, or some other world-percussion drum but not sure if you should go with fiberglass or wood. Well, you've stumbled onto the right site. Shopping for world percussion instruments can be bit overwhelming. There are such a wide variety of choices and features that sometimes you lose sight of what you want. Hopefully after reading this blog you'll have a better understanding of the distinct differences between fiberglass and wood congas so you can make a more informed decision.

One of the biggest differences between wood and fiberglass drums is that fiberglass tends to have a louder and crisper sound. Basically it's a bit more resonant; whereas the wood is warmer and more natural sounding. The louder and crisper sound can be good for cutting through the mix of an amplified band, however might not produce that warmth needed in a studio recording environment. Since the fiberglass is a little more resonant it's slightly easier to produce the tones, which can be a positive for those just starting out because of ease of play. I would argue to say that most professional players choose wood due to its warm and natural sounding tone. Plus wood congas are much more authentic and traditional. Fiberglass congas will be less affected by changes of weather and temperature although they tend to be heavier than wood drums. The wood responds more to atmospheric changes, but since they are tunable that may not matter too much.

If you're planning on gigging out a bunch and transporting your drums around town, keep in mind that wood tends to show scratches more easily, though both are very durable. A drum usually gets most of its scratches when traveling, so if it's mostly kept inside then you reduce the chance of damage.

Fiberglass Congas	Wood Congas
Fiberglass Bongos	Wood Bongos

Labels: conga, conga.drums, congas, fiberglass.congas, fiberglass.drums. wood.drums., wood.congas

Congas, being percussive instruments, do not have to be tuned to any particular note in purely percussive settings. They are tunable to different notes. However, when playing with harmonic instruments, they may be tuned to specific notes. Generally congas are tuned using the open tone. The original drums were tuned by adjusting knots and tension ropes on the drumhead, or, where the drumheads were tacked or nailed to the top of the shell, by careful heating of the head. Modern congas use a screw-and-lug, tension head system that makes them easier to tune (or detune).

Terminology for the drums varies. The naming system used typically follows those currently in use by major conga manufacturers. The drums are discussed in order from largest to smallest; the sizes of the drumheads slightly vary by manufacturer, model, and style:

The supertumba can be as large as 14 inches across (35.5 cm).
The tumba is typically 12 to 12.5 inches across (30.5 to 31.8 cm).
The conga is typically 11.5 to 12 inches across (29.2 to 30.5 cm).
The quinto is typically around 11 inches across (about 28 cm).
The requinto can be smaller than 10 inches across (24.8 cm).
The ricardo can be as small as 9 inches across (22.9 cm). Since this drum is typically played while hanging from a shoulder strap, it is considerably shorter and narrower than a traditional conga.

In general, the particular note will depend on the make, model, and size of the conga drum. The drum should be tuned so that the bass tone resonates; the open tone rings, and the slaps pierce through the musical mix. If the tuning is too loose, the bass and slap tones will sound "flabby"; too tight, and the drums will sound unnatural and "pinched." With a single drum, it is difficult to go wrong with tightening the drum until it makes a pleasing sound. When two or more drums are used, however, there is much variation on which two notes are chosen. With two drums, it is not unusual to find them tuned a perfect fourth apart.

Labels: conga, conga.drums, congas, percussion.instrument, quinto, requinto, ricardo, supertumba, tumbadora, tuning.congas

The exact history of the conga drum seems to be a bit misunderstood. I've read various articles that seem to point to either an African or Cuban descent. However one thing is sure: that the name 'Conga' is actually used incorrectly in the U.S. In Cuba, where these drums were developed, the word conga is usually only applied to a drum and rhythm played during Carnaval (or Mardi Gras in the U.S). A more accurate term, used in a traditional sense and by most Spanish-speakers, is tumbadora. This term is not traditionally applied to the drums played in Carnaval, but for those played in most traditional and commercial Cuban music.

According to Nolan Warden's brief history on the Conga drum, Cuban rhythms were picked up and popularized by the U.S. media in the early to mid-1900's when people were freely traveling to and from Cuba. This led to many U.S. pop-culture explosions of "Latin" styles, one of which was la conga. Even today, a watered-down version of the la conga rhythm isn't hard to find at public gatherings throughout the U.S. This and other pop-culture use mistakenly led to the word conga being used to refer to all Cuban drums of similar construction.

The word tumbadora, which is considered more accurate among Cubans and aficionados, comes from the folkloric style called rumba (not ballroom rhumba). Since rumba is considered to be responsible for the musical development of these drums, the word tumbadora is used out of respect for that setting as opposed to conga, which is a more commercial term. Today, it's not really necessary for English-speaking percussionists to call these drums tumbadoras. Congas or Conga Drums works just fine!

Labels: conga, conga.drums, congas, cuban.rhythms, history.of.the.conga.drum, tumbadora