Great lesson for aspiring percussionists who work with drum-set players. Technique, well, what works for you and the band is what works. All the great players have their own unique style.
This was very cool and informative! Learning new things everyday. Basically have played drum set for years and now trying the congas and timbales. I just want to have fun with it and feel good while playing. Excellent video thank you! 👍
Thanks! I see a lot of people trying to copy drumset rhythms on congas and tuning them badly, so I thought I'd give my views after doing this for 25 years.
I love this. It's hard stuff to get into and I have been watching similar videos for some time but this one is so clear about everything and repeats on multiple tempos. It was very helpful. All of a sudden I realised that single conga rythm was used in a song I love by Nick Drake called Cello Song but I only heard it when you came very close to the actual tempo of it. I have actually put percussion songs like that in a playlist for me to figure it out but it is very hard compared drumming. Massive thanks!
This is very helpful. I've been a drum for over twenty years and I recently sold my drums kit for a quinto and conga performer series from LP. Thou I am very aware in Salsa and Cumbia music, this tutorial was still very helpful. All thou they're are other slap technics for the conga. Good job and rock on brother.
Thanks! I really appreciate the kind words. I do realize my slap technique may not work for everyone. I made sure to learn proper heel/toe and traditional Latin rhythms on congas, but living in Ohio I basically never get a chance to play that stuff, so rock and funk is my outlet. Take care!
Hey bro... I’m definitely going to give props cause I have been playing congas for years and with all the lessons I have gone through on RUclips not one ☝️ pro has ever taught me that slaps could be done going the opposite direction and I realized when I tried it that it was way easier to produce the 👋 slap going away from you... now I don’t know how it would be to get back into rhythm after it but I literally would have never thought to go that direction with it... I learned something form your video so much thanks 🙏 so much for your interpretation of the tumboa ...I’ll tell you something you got it down!
Thanks for the video. I've been playing for almost 30 years (non -professionally) mostly in latin jazz and gospel funk settings and I have used the tumbao pattern when I've played with non latin grooves. I've often wondered if I was doing it right and how it sounded from the audience perspective. This is the first video I've seen that confirms I have been doing ok. I do use the traditional technique for congas and my feeling too, is, as long as people are dancing and swaying, you got it!
Thanks for the kind words. When I played in traditional Latin ensembles, I definitely used the heel/toe techniques. These days I live in Ohio and no one plays that stuff, so I adapted to an amplified funk/rock setup.
Thanks for stating that your pattern is an adaptation of how it’s supposed to be played. You’ll get a better slap if you strike downwards and if you do not cup your hand so much. And it doesn’t have to be hard if you whip the hand properly, good technique doesn’t necessitate force. And lastly, even though people refer to the left hand movement as “heel-toe”, you do not strike with the “heel”, it’s a “palm” strike and rather easy to learn, just needs practiced.
Thanks guys. So many conga player think you can only use them for traditional Latin rhythms. They are all over disco and funk tunes from the 60s and 70s. I don't see anyone teaching those styles, so I gave it a shot.
@@RedeyePerc There was so much congas in the 70’s in the Motown sound! I play congas in church almost every Sunday. Yeah the Tumbao can be played on any 4/4 song but should it?
Jay excellent video. I just came across you on RUclips. I've been playing drums most of my life and years back started also playing congas. And as you said you find yourself playing drum set beats and fills on the congas. Very hard habit to break. You gave alot of good tips on separating the two. Always add that into your future lessons as most want to be conga players were drummers first. Have a great day.
Thanks! I caught him randomly on BET jazz when I was in college and have been a fan ever since. LoopLoft has an entire package by him for cheap. It's really fun to play with.
If I could only have 2 drums, I would go 11/12. You can get a good slap on an 11, and that open sound on the 12 is much better for the low part. For reference, my drums are actually 11, 11 3/4, and 12 1/2. The LP Matador stuff I use is in the professional sizes without that crazy high price tag.
I have a 11 quinto & a 11.75 conga L.P. performer series. And I have to agree, the 11 inch has a lot of diversity to it and a 11.75 sounds amazing as an open or slap strike. But there are no conga police brother, and to each his own. Get whatever feels right. You can even play two of the same size, just tune them differently. Rock on.
Could you make one Fortnite "how to play drums with a percussionist"...you touched on communication...but do you have general practices you use when there is a percussionist who needs space to play in?
Hi ,, yes GOOD SUBJECT ,, SO MANY So CALLED. PERCUSSION -IST " HAVE NO CONCEPT. ON HOW TO PLAY ..CONGA'S. WITH AH DRUMMER " i leaned HOW BY PLAYING SANTANA MUSIC . AND PLAYING ANY AND ALL POP MUSIC .. . 💫💫💫🎼🎶⏳🙏 ...J. T. THAX'S .💔💜..
I don't have any conga tuning videos up right now, sorry. I may include that next time I do some playing. In the mean time, I tune the quinto and tumba a fourth apart. Find a good tone for the bottom one, then tune the top a fourth higher (sing "Here Comes The Bride" and use that interval). The Conga is then a second below the Quinto, so that it's much closer to the top than bottom. I hope that helps. Take care!
You want clean sounds Everytime, don't change the traditional ways and perfect your techniques. Yes it takes time, but It gets easier with tons of practice and time. Great examples are Raul Rekow, who's not Spanish. I love Mongo Santa Maria, Paoli Mejias, Raul Rekow, Tata Guines, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Ray Barretto when it comes to practicing and sharpening my skills. Rock on!
This was great. Can you tell me what size drums you're playing - I'm just getting into it and trying to work out what's best to buy, starting with a 2 drum set then maybe adding a 3rd. The quinto and conga should be different sizes (I guess) but in the video the heads look the same size. Are they the same and just tuned differently or are they eg 10"and 11", or 11"and 12"?
Ratko Petrovic Thanks! I’m glad you the video. My drums are 11”, 11 3/4”, and 12 1/2”. That is standard sizes for mid range drums like my LP Matadors and all the professional lines. They are typically sold individually, so you can just get the drums you want. The pro lines sometimes also have a requinto that is 10”. There are also the more entry level drums (that still sound fantastic, just maybe don’t look as luxury) that are typically sold in sets of 10” & 11” together with a stand. If you are serious and know that you will stick with it, I would start off with a mid range quinto and tumba (biggest and smallest). They run around $300 per drum. You can add the conga in the middle later if you want. Good luck! Make sure you study with some traditional material and rhythms. Let me know if I can answer any more questions.
Redeye Percussion Thanks Shane, really appreciate your reply. I think I’ll be the oldest novice percussionist in Australia:) but I’ve wanted to do this for a long, long time. I’ll definitely give it a go. Thanks for your advice.
Play one drum (high conga) as the heartbeat. Add (Holy) Ghost notes as needed. Play tones on the low conga to add colour and variation (complimenting the bass). Most importantly: listen to the groove of the other musicians and the spirit of the moment. Hope this helps.
This took guts, with all the snobbery. But i would humbly submit nothing should hurt. I have been playing around 15 years and only ever get hurt when I'm careless in the worship team. Might check out more RUclips's on techniques. Otherwise, interesting video.
1:52 Basic sounds (open, mute, slap)
5:53 Tumbao pattern for 1 conga
8:34 1 Conga / 1st groove
9:24 1 Conga / 2nd groove
10:08 1 Conga / 3rd groove
10:47 1 Conga / 4th groove
11:22 1 Conga / 5th groove
11:56 1 Conga / 6th groove
12:25 1 Conga / 7th groove
12:52 1 Conga / 8th groove
13:18 1 Conga / 9th groove
13:49 2 Congas / Tuning
14:26 Tumbao for 2 congas / 1st pattern
14:50 Tumbao for 2 congas / 2nd pattern
16:03 2 Congas / 1st groove
16:54 2 Congas / 2nd groove
17:38 2 Congas / 3rd groove
18:16 2 Congas / 4th groove
18:52 2 Congas / 5th groove
19:25 2 Congas / 6th groove
19:55 2 Congas / 7th groove
20:21 2 Congas / 8th groove
20:49 2 Congas / 9th groove
21:36 3 Congas / tuning
22:06 Tumbao variations for 3 congas
22:59 3 Congas / 1st groove
23:50 3 Congas / 2nd groove
24:33 3 Congas / 3rd groove
25:12 3 Congas / 4th groove
25:47 3 Congas / 5th groove
26:21 3 Congas / 6th groove
26:51 3 Congas / 7th groove
27:18 3 Congas / 8th groove
27:45 3 Congas / 9th groove
29:51 Loop playalong
Thanks for your work Shane!
ESanczi Thanks for the table of contents. Take care!
Great lesson for aspiring percussionists who work with drum-set players. Technique, well, what works for you and the band is what works. All the great players have their own unique style.
Thanks! I appreciate the support.
Finally, I found on non-latin conga! Big help thank you!!!! Seriously this will for the different groups I am in playing percussion.
Thanks! I hope this helps.
This was very cool and informative! Learning new things everyday. Basically have played drum set for years and now trying the congas and timbales. I just want to have fun with it and feel good while playing. Excellent video thank you! 👍
Thanks! I see a lot of people trying to copy drumset rhythms on congas and tuning them badly, so I thought I'd give my views after doing this for 25 years.
I love this. It's hard stuff to get into and I have been watching similar videos for some time but this one is so clear about everything and repeats on multiple tempos. It was very helpful. All of a sudden I realised that single conga rythm was used in a song I love by Nick Drake called Cello Song but I only heard it when you came very close to the actual tempo of it. I have actually put percussion songs like that in a playlist for me to figure it out but it is very hard compared drumming. Massive thanks!
This is very helpful. I've been a drum for over twenty years and I recently sold my drums kit for a quinto and conga performer series from LP. Thou I am very aware in Salsa and Cumbia music, this tutorial was still very helpful. All thou they're are other slap technics for the conga.
Good job and rock on brother.
Thanks! I really appreciate the kind words. I do realize my slap technique may not work for everyone. I made sure to learn proper heel/toe and traditional Latin rhythms on congas, but living in Ohio I basically never get a chance to play that stuff, so rock and funk is my outlet. Take care!
Hey bro... I’m definitely going to give props cause I have been playing congas for years and with all the lessons I have gone through on RUclips not one ☝️ pro has ever taught me that slaps could be done going the opposite direction and I realized when I tried it that it was way easier to produce the 👋 slap going away from you... now I don’t know how it would be to get back into rhythm after it but I literally would have never thought to go that direction with it... I learned something form your video so much thanks 🙏 so much for your interpretation of the tumboa ...I’ll tell you something you got it down!
Thanks! I certainly respect traditional styles, but there are definitely other ways to make these drums sound good.
Thanks for the video. I've been playing for almost 30 years (non -professionally) mostly in latin jazz and gospel funk settings and I have used the tumbao pattern when I've played with non latin grooves. I've often wondered if I was doing it right and how it sounded from the audience perspective. This is the first video I've seen that confirms I have been doing ok. I do use the traditional technique for congas and my feeling too, is, as long as people are dancing and swaying, you got it!
Thanks for the kind words. When I played in traditional Latin ensembles, I definitely used the heel/toe techniques. These days I live in Ohio and no one plays that stuff, so I adapted to an amplified funk/rock setup.
Great content!!! With good break downs!!!
Thanks! I appreciate the support.
Great Lesson! Thanks!
Good Video useful tips..thanks
Very helpful video - thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks for stating that your pattern is an adaptation of how it’s supposed to be played. You’ll get a better slap if you strike downwards and if you do not cup your hand so much. And it doesn’t have to be hard if you whip the hand properly, good technique doesn’t necessitate force. And lastly, even though people refer to the left hand movement as “heel-toe”, you do not strike with the “heel”, it’s a “palm” strike and rather easy to learn, just needs practiced.
Awesome
Good vid! 👍
"Please don't flame me in the comments" respect bro👌🤣
Shit had me dying too, dude is great
Thanks guys. So many conga player think you can only use them for traditional Latin rhythms. They are all over disco and funk tunes from the 60s and 70s. I don't see anyone teaching those styles, so I gave it a shot.
@@RedeyePerc There was so much congas in the 70’s in the Motown sound! I play congas in church almost every Sunday. Yeah the Tumbao can be played on any 4/4 song but should it?
Thank you for this lesson.
You're welcome. This one was long overdue.
INTERESTING ! SOUNDS GOOD !
Thanks! Many people are complaining about this video, so it's nice to hear that someone liked it at least.
Nice men
Jay excellent video. I just came across you on RUclips. I've been playing drums most of my life and years back started also playing congas. And as you said you find yourself playing drum set beats and fills on the congas. Very hard habit to break. You gave alot of good tips on separating the two. Always add that into your future lessons as most want to be conga players were drummers first. Have a great day.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words Bob! I am thinking about a Djembe video where I do try to play drumset like beats.
Nice vid. Didn't expect to hear Charlie Hunter here. Always a pleasant surprise!
Thanks! I caught him randomly on BET jazz when I was in college and have been a fan ever since. LoopLoft has an entire package by him for cheap. It's really fun to play with.
Do you recommend a quinto/conga (10”/11”) or conga/tumba (11”/12”) for accompanying a drum set in a rock/funk/disco/Dancy kind of band?
If I could only have 2 drums, I would go 11/12. You can get a good slap on an 11, and that open sound on the 12 is much better for the low part. For reference, my drums are actually 11, 11 3/4, and 12 1/2. The LP Matador stuff I use is in the professional sizes without that crazy high price tag.
I have a 11 quinto & a 11.75 conga L.P. performer series. And I have to agree, the 11 inch has a lot of diversity to it and a 11.75 sounds amazing as an open or slap strike.
But there are no conga police brother, and to each his own. Get whatever feels right.
You can even play two of the same size, just tune them differently. Rock on.
Could you make one Fortnite "how to play drums with a percussionist"...you touched on communication...but do you have general practices you use when there is a percussionist who needs space to play in?
Precious informations....thank you so much! You talk very clearly amd the video is well structured. Cheers
Thanks! I really appreciate the kind words.
Nice video Shane
Thanks! I've been planning this one for a couple of years.
The two hits on the low drum always fall on the second beat of the 3 side of the clave!
Nice tutorial. Hope you can make more conga/timbales vdo. Thanks for share
I am thinking about a few more of these. Timbales are hard to fit in pop and rock stuff so maybe that's a good idea.
Great! Thanks for your reply
Hi ,, yes GOOD SUBJECT ,, SO MANY So CALLED. PERCUSSION -IST " HAVE NO CONCEPT. ON HOW TO PLAY ..CONGA'S. WITH AH DRUMMER " i leaned HOW BY PLAYING SANTANA MUSIC . AND PLAYING ANY AND ALL POP MUSIC .. . 💫💫💫🎼🎶⏳🙏 ...J. T. THAX'S .💔💜..
It’s important to verify whether this is a 3:2 or 2:3 clave!
do have a video on how you tune all three congas (quinto, conga, and tumbadora) has a really nice tone, thanks
I don't have any conga tuning videos up right now, sorry. I may include that next time I do some playing. In the mean time, I tune the quinto and tumba a fourth apart. Find a good tone for the bottom one, then tune the top a fourth higher (sing "Here Comes The Bride" and use that interval). The Conga is then a second below the Quinto, so that it's much closer to the top than bottom. I hope that helps. Take care!
The opens should be with the same hand!
Muito bom!
Obrigado!
Thanks!
You want clean sounds Everytime, don't change the traditional ways and perfect your techniques. Yes it takes time, but It gets easier with tons of practice and time. Great examples are Raul Rekow, who's not Spanish. I love Mongo Santa Maria, Paoli Mejias, Raul Rekow, Tata Guines, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Ray Barretto when it comes to practicing and sharpening my skills. Rock on!
Theres another bit other than the tumbao (salsa) that you can use when the song is fast and is not to complicated
What pattern is that? I'm always looking for something else to play in pop songs that sounds good.
@@RedeyePerc I used for rock songs, send me your email and I will send you a video of me
Thanks! It's shane@redeyepercussion.com
Gabriel Colón .
You should explain the difference between left and right handed player, and you are not playing left or right confusing
This was great. Can you tell me what size drums you're playing - I'm just getting into it and trying to work out what's best to buy, starting with a 2 drum set then maybe adding a 3rd. The quinto and conga should be different sizes (I guess) but in the video the heads look the same size. Are they the same and just tuned differently or are they eg 10"and 11", or 11"and 12"?
Ratko Petrovic Thanks! I’m glad you the video. My drums are 11”, 11 3/4”, and 12 1/2”. That is standard sizes for mid range drums like my LP Matadors and all the professional lines. They are typically sold individually, so you can just get the drums you want. The pro lines sometimes also have a requinto that is 10”. There are also the more entry level drums (that still sound fantastic, just maybe don’t look as luxury) that are typically sold in sets of 10” & 11” together with a stand. If you are serious and know that you will stick with it, I would start off with a mid range quinto and tumba (biggest and smallest). They run around $300 per drum. You can add the conga in the middle later if you want. Good luck! Make sure you study with some traditional material and rhythms. Let me know if I can answer any more questions.
Redeye Percussion Thanks Shane, really appreciate your reply. I think I’ll be the oldest novice percussionist in Australia:) but I’ve wanted to do this for a long, long time. I’ll definitely give it a go. Thanks for your advice.
Ratko Petrovic Hans drums are not so hard to learn fairly quickly compared to some other instruments, so it totally doable. Good luck!
Hi is playing inside the pocket I see alot of the pro like playing like that
The slap should be crisp! Like a crack sound.
What beat will you use for gospel music?
Play one drum (high conga) as the heartbeat. Add (Holy) Ghost notes as needed. Play tones on the low conga to add colour and variation (complimenting the bass). Most importantly: listen to the groove of the other musicians and the spirit of the moment. Hope this helps.
Same marcha
This took guts, with all the snobbery. But i would humbly submit nothing should hurt. I have been playing around 15 years and only ever get hurt when I'm careless in the worship team. Might check out more RUclips's on techniques. Otherwise, interesting video.
11:24
So...bullshit still or not? I'm confused.
Sounds almost like DC GoGo music
Yep, I used to run sound for a LOT of DC gogo shows. Awesome groove, until you see about 200 shows and realize there's only one groove.
Focus on using your finger pads for the slap.
20 years can’t slap with his left hand...TheGr8Jeff
Just play! We can figure out the rest. You spent way too much time explaining than playing.. Sorry
That's cool but you're not to hit the congas hard
zz