mongo3k wrote:I've noticed a few recordings where the conguero leaves out the slap on the 3 side of the clave before going to the low drum . . . I was wondering if anyone could comment on that.
I have developed a terminology for the phenomena you are asking about. I think most everyone in this forum knows that the basic conga drum tumbao has two slaps per clave cycle, one on the three-side and the other, on the two-side.
I call the slap on the two-side the
primary slap. I call it that because it is the slap that aligns, or coincides with clave. It is also the slap that is typically maintained throughout various tumbao variations. The
secondary slap is on the three-side, it is counter-clave, and it is often replaced by another stroke. In other words, it is the three-side that varies the most, just like in rumba quinto and most other folkloric lead drum parts.
Kevin Moore of the timba piano books series has adopted this terminology.
-David