Heel and Tip

[mangorockfish]

I explained a bolero to a person the other day anad when I referred to the heel and tip part of the rhythm another person, who is supposed to have some teaching experience, said that it is better to use the whole hand instead of just the heel. Less likely to cause injury to the hands and gives a better sound. What do you experienced guys think? Bobby Sanabria teaches the "heel". Thanks

[Johnny Conga]

Here is one way I play bolero on 2 congas-P=palm=S=slap=tone...now I can play a bolero at least 5 different ways, this is just one way.

1 and a 2 and 3 and 4 and
p p p s s p t t tone.......with no heel or tip
hope this helps.....JC JOHNNY CONGA... :;):

[mangorockfish]

You misunderstood me. He was saying you should use the whole palm and not the heel when playing bolero, tumbao etc,. I was under the impression he was saying not to use the heel at all.
Hey JC, can you give me the other ways you play bolero. Thanks in advance.

[rahalak]

My teacher, a very accomplished conguero from Havana, also teaches us to use the whole hand for the "heel" stroke, rather than just the heel of the palm, for the same reasons you gave in your original post.

He has to keep reminding me, as I learned the "heel only" way, and it is a hard habit to break. But I agree the whole hand approach feels and sounds better.
Chris

[mangorockfish]

Thanks Rahalak for you input. I've been trying the whole hand and it is very difficult after learning and playing the "heel", but you are correct in that it does sound better. :blues:

[Colacao]

Hola,

Excuse me my English is bad. I wanted just to say that it’s better to call this movement palm-tip. Heel-tip can lend to confusion. This isn’t a movement of « rocking chair ». The movement such we teach me, is that the hand vertically fall and the whole palm and the fingers touch at the same time the skin of the tumbadora. Then you get up the fingers and the palm using the wrist, then to fall again the hand flat as to take the initial position. This manner to do, gives more consistency to all the tumbaos usually, not only bolero. That’s true that Giovanni when it goes very quickly, there is a strength a movement of « rocking chair», but I suggest fist to obtain the correct basic movement. Like Anga said in his video, the hand falls flat the fingers rebound automatically.

Un pequeno poema mio.

El tiempo es como un pajaro. Puedes intentar meterlo en jaula, pero estara siempre dispuesto a escaparte. Dejalo desplegar sus alas y tu no pares el ritmo, baila con tus manos sobre tu tambor. Cuando el pajaro tendra terminado su cierre, volvera de nuevo plantearse sobre tu hombro. Quiza que suavemente se dejara domesticar. Sentiras entonces que el tiempo es volatil y que el ritmo es como sus alas...fragil.

Coalcao

[mangorockfish]

Thanks for the info. It seems as though I'm finding that this is the most preferred way instead of the "heel" and tip. To relearn this will set me back a little, but I think in the long run, it will be much better.Thanks again.