Rhythm Rut

[john]

Hi Everyone,

I feel like I always fall into the same old rut of either playing tumbao (or a variation) or just following along with the drummer (8ths or 16ths with a slap on 2 & 4)

I'm gonna throw out a few songs give me a clue as to what you would/do play:

Brown Eyed girl
Mustang Sally
Soul Man
Good Lovin
Down on the corner
Southern Cross


Thanks

[JohnnyConga]

this is what I would play

Brown Eyed Girl --tumbao-cha cha style
Mustang Sally-tamborine
Soul Man-large cowbell-tamborine
Good Lovin-tumbao with a rock shuffle to it
Down on the corner--can't remember that right now or Southern Cross

some tunes you can play bongos also.....it helps to have a bag of "toys" that you can use when you can'ty play the congas, "versatility is key"......"JC" Johnny Conga.... :;):

[mangorockfish]

Ya see JC, thia is what I was talking about in the S.T.O.M.P. thread about your video/dvd. Tell us songs and show us what and how to play them. That would really start the creative juices flowing.
Mangorockfish

[Isaac]

I like JC suggestions also.

For the "toys" and small percussion, listen to some brazilian music. It will loosen you up.
This will open a whole door of possibilites - triangle, shakers,
whistles, pod shakers, agogo bells, Tamborin, Pandeiro .... and more! Check out the Airto videos.
Also a few basic samba patterns go a long way also
on the type of music you play. THere's some right here in congaplace!

The more styles you have in your arsenal, the more you
can shift gears in different sections of a song. Since you've
got a drummer keeping time (hopefully) don't feel you've got
to stick to the tumbao all the way through...have fun.

By the way, have you seen the DVD Documentary "Standing
in the Shadows of Motown" . Its about the band in the studio that played "anonymously" on hundreds of Motown hits. There's
some excellent tambourine playing on it. I need to go back to my
library and see it again.

ISAAC
funkytradition@yahoo.com

[Ivan]

[By the way, have you seen the DVD Documentary "Standing
in the Shadows of Motown" . Its about the band in the studio that played "anonymously" on hundreds of Motown hits.]

I love that movie!!! I like the seen in the diner when they were with Joan Osborn (splg?) I wish they kept that groove going...

Hope all is well!
Ivan