Conga Strokes - Hand Position

[MicroConga]

Hi everybody

Does anyone know conga instructional material treating in detail hand's positions and strokes to get the right sound? Mainly, I'm looking for information about the different kind of slap tones.

Marco

[yoni]

Hi MicroConga,

Don't know of much "instructional material" on this, but can contribute what I've learned so far...

A closed slap on the conga, or "pop", as I used to hear this sound called, is done with a slightly cupped hand, first knuckles usually curved over the edge of the drum head, or slightly more toward its center. The stroke is best done straight down onto the drum - twisting or turning the hand is pointless or just for flash - this can compromise the "clean-ness" of the sound. Sounds best when the tips of all fingers strike the drum at the exact same instant.

You strike and grab the drum head for the closed slap - no bounce. All the weight and focus is in the very ends of the fingers. The action is something like the cracking of a whip - the sharpest sounding slaps come not from power but from focus, or snap.

The open slap involves the same snap but the finger tips bounce off the drum head rather than grab it. In djembe slaps, usually open, the fingers are kept straight, while in conga they are slightly curved, as mentioned earlier.

Again, twisting or turning the hand prevents all fingers from striking the drum simultaneously and can muddy-up the sound. Twisting or turning on the way down to the slap also wastes some micro-milliseconds of time, in my opinion. As known in physics, the quickest way from one point to another is in a straight line.

There is another slap I read of here called the "bullet shot", with the hand more toward the center of the drum. Perhaps someone versed in this stroke can elaborate.

Whew! Well that was an ear-full! Hope it helps.
All the best,
Yoni

[MicroConga]

thanks Yoni,

Your explanation brings me a new "path" to follow so that i can improve my slaps. Just one more question: i saw many percussionists making open tones with fingers slightly spread apart. Actually i can't do it that way : my fingers have to be in touch to get the right sound. Is it worth to practice so i can do it with fingers spread apart ? (the hand seems to be more relax using that technique).

Marco

[Simon B]

Microconga I think you half-answered your question: relaxation is paramount - if your hand feels more relaxed with fingers spread slightly apart then perservere with it (this to me is the 'norm').

Yoni I take the bullett shot to be primarily bongo related, i.e. the macho open/closed slap. Nevertheless striking the conga drum in the same way, if not as powerful or dramatic, is still of course a shot in its own right, with a distinct sound as compared to, say, the closed slap. I spose it's one of those minor conga strokes (of which there must be a good five or ten) as opposed to the majors.

Hmm, what 'minor' strokes then?
What about: finger-tip strikes (open and muffled), fist bass, bass-raised drum (with legs), nail hits (some congueros, e.g. Tata Guines, do these down the side of the drum too), those tabla style finger rolls you have mentioned, elbow on skin, finger on skin, moose call...The list goes on.
In the past I have executed what I can only call a back-hand stroke, kunckles clattering on middle of skin ( I think every conguero has their own versions of these idiosyncratic, crazy, and really not greatly effective strokes!)

Simon B

[yoni]

Hi again all,

For open tones my fingers are mainly together like yours, Micro Conga. Strength in togetherness - fingers seem to me less prone to injury on congas when working as one unit. Mine do drift apart at times, but I was taught they stay as one, and this gives me the purest tones (though, sure, sometimes I don't want that real pure sound).

Maybe more important than fingers spread or together is keeping them as flat as the drum head for a nice clean open tone.

Yoni

[JohnnyConga]

There are 2 videos I would recommend One by Kalani and the other is Conga Joy by Bill Matthews where they are both showing technique and rhythms......At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA..

[MicroConga]

Thanks to all