Need advices on practicing - 1 hour practice routine

[Ketipung]

I thought, I come and say hello to you all since I'm a new comers in the forum

My name is Mike, Indonesian origin but been in Australia for a while. Lucky enough to be in Australia and found whole different ranges of cultures including latin music which has been my interest for quiet some times.

I just got rid my tacky student conga and my new pearl folkloric conga has just arrived. Pretty happy with the quality and price, however the conga & quinto seems to have ringing sound. Has anyone who has pearl folkloric conga experienced this? The skin feels diferent too, I'm not sure whether that is actually water buffalo skin however don't really mind with the quality. Still thinking of getting mule skin from Isaac though.

Here's my issue ??? and I need advice from anyone who has same situation as mine. I'm working full time and only have maybe 1-2 hours to practice during weekdays, except on weekend. What would be good strategy here in order to get the foundation? Should I practice more of rudiments or marchas? I'm not trying to get a shortcut here and I value hard work and long hour of practice.
How should I structure my practice time ? ???

Has anyone ever broadcast PodCasts or been using it for getting more stuff on latin music?

In advance, appreciate all comments. :laugh:

Bless ya all

[Charangaman]

Greetings,


I was thinking about those folkloric congas but they seem difficult to get in europe.. Maybe the ringing should die down when you break them in? Else you can gaffer tape under the skin..

Practice wise, I guess you should get a personal Conga teacher but if that's difficult then maybe structure your practice to include - Warm ups - rudiments - patterns/variations - freestyle/solo's...

And enjoy yourself!

[Raymond]

Strange the ringing you are getting in the Pearl Folcloric Congas. Right now I have a set of Folcloric congas in my living room, for a friend of mine, and I do not get the ringing you are mentioning. (Actually a warmth sound. By the way, the heads, are are rawhide and tend to be thicker than other heads...therfore, is weird about the ringing. Detuned the heads and start the tuning all over. Maybe they are tuned too high...Check it out).

Practice , if you are a beginner beginner, you need to master the basics like the "marcha" and then the basic tumbao...take it from there and keep it up until you get everywhere you want to go and everything you want to learn. (Listen to records, practice etc, etc).

Also, you have to do it as you feel. If now you have the "fever" go at it whenever you can. There is no formula. (As an example, when I want to master something I tend to go at it for hours until I get it. When I started, my Saturdays used to be 8 hours of practicing with records and trying everything, I even recorded myself...My slap was a "labor of love" for hours until I got the one I wanted it.....)

I hope this helps!

Saludos!

[Charangaman]

Raymond,

As a pearl endorsee can you tell me if their are any plans to release the folkloric range in europe?


Many thanks,

[Raymond]

My understanding is that Pearl has the Folcloric products "available" in Europe. That includes original conga and bongos and the other percussion "toys" related, released last year, and the Jesus Diaz, cajons, and the "new design" in accordance with the colors of the line for the batas, released this year.

In regards to actual availability, two things are taken in consideration: the public demand and if the store or dealer makes it available.

My contact, which is as direct as you can get, is with US and Europe is "ran" by others. If the dealers do not get the products, the demand has to be created by the public.

Is hard to help you on this because my understanding is what I mentioned above. I'll do my checking from my end, what is wrong with Europe, and let you know. What you can do is ask to the authorized dealers in Europe. (If they have trapped drums that means they are authorized percussion also).

I'll let you know.

Saludos!



Edited By Raymond on 1181579276

[JohnnyConga]

WELCOME MIKE TO OUR FAMILY OF DRUMMERS AND EDUCATORS!....well first try to work out a "daily" schedule of one hour to 3 hours, if possible for study and practice...look when u can t play , watch videos of players on youtube.com...imerse yourself in the world of conga drumming, it can be ALL consumming, if u have the "fire" within...we learn by listening, watching, and practical application....the first approach to the drum is getting "the sound" from a drum, by practing, single stroke rolls(8th notes to 32nd or 64th if ur really fast).

Here is part of my method to get u going...

TT PP TT PP TT SS TT SS SS TT SS PP TT SS TT PP PP SS TT PP....counted 1+2+3+4+...

T=tone S=slap P=palm......Rudiments are good too..u can learn these without a conga drum....there are ways to practice without the drum,when u can t use it...

This will get u moving on the drum and start to teach your ears how to listen to the different sounds from the drum thru these xercises.....Like i said watch all the videos for now that u can at youtube.com...just type in Conga or Conga learning...Do you know "Abakua/Masula" in Melbourne?...if u need instruction look for him , he's the busiest Conga player in Melbourne......"JC" Johnny Conga...

[Charangaman]

Many thanks Raymond...
I have heard good things about these drums and associated "toys".. If it comes to it I'll order direct from the states and just pay the shipping..

Regards,

[pavloconga]

Do you know "Abakua/Masula" in Melbourne?...if u need instruction look for him , he's the busiest Conga player in Melbourne......"JC" Johnny Conga...

Hi JC,
Abakua/Masula is in Sydney.
But there are plenty of other good players in Melbourne.
cheers
P

[pavloconga]

For some serious study get José Luis Quintana's "Evolution of the Tumbadoras"(DCI Music Video). There is enough exercises in the booklet and vid to keep you going for a long time. He covers basic technique and sounds as well as much more, and just by watching the technique of a great master you will have a better foundation to build on. Also "Anga Mania" (MIM Films) by Miguel Anga Diaz (R.I.P.).

[jmdriscoll]

Ketipung, not sure what to say about your conga's as I have never played the Pearl folkloric congas. I do however have a similar situation as you in regards to practice time and being an aspiring conga player. I work 40hrs a week also and practice 1-2hrs a day. I am lucky enough to work in a near abandoned 10 story building that has a lot of empty space. I have a matador quinto, conga, tumba, and a little crappy pearl travel conga that is very similar in size to the LP compact congas. That thing has a ring like you wouldn't believe, but it is ok because i only use it for my conga and do most of my work on the quinto.. I keep my conga and tumba at home during the week, and my quinto and pearl travel conga at work. Go up to the the 10th floor every day to practice for an hour, and practice more when I get home. I have been messing around with what my teacher calls "toy congas" for a few years, until I finally found a good deal on the three matadors. I played with tumbaos mostly before meeting my teacher, and probably did not focus on my technique as much as the pattern that I was playing. One of the first things that my teacher gave me for homework was some practice exercises to get my technique straight before moving on to other rhythms. I created a practice routine in which I would practice each technique for 5 minutes at a time and go to the next one. These practice rudimants have helped me achieve tone definition and has allowed me to play isolating opens, from slaps, from bass, from Muff, etc...

Bass toe, Bass toe - "L L R R" - 5 minutes
Bass bass toe toe - "R L R L" - 5 minutes
Bass toe toe, Bass toe toe - "L L L R R R" - 5 minutes
Bass toe toe toe, Bass toe toe toe - "L L L L, R R R R" - 5 minutes
Bass toe open slap - "L L R R" - 5 minutes
Bass toe open slap - "R R L L" - 5 minutes
Bass toe slap open - "L L R R" - 5 minutes
Bass toe slap open - "R R L L" - 5 minutes
Free play for 20 minutes... tumbaos... etc..

I did this routine for a month straight and as boring and mundane as it might be, it has paid off. I can be very impatient at times, and it took a seasoned congeuro to instruct me to do this, before I actually sat down and did it with 100% effort. It has paid off greatly in my playing. I was playing around with these congas for a while before sitting down and doing what I should have done when I first started playing. I am still very much in the same boat as you and consider myself a beginner this very complex and sometimes frustrating instrument. But every day through constant practice, I see very small incremental improvements in my playing. My teacher currently has me doing practicing varations of the tumbao, and guaguanco. I have the basic rhytms and varations down pat now and am now trying to play against the clave as much as I can, and work on my arrangements so that they have style and flavor. It's hard to break out of the robot like mold of playing basic patterns and varations back to back, but through perciverence and practice it will come with time. I have learned that no matter how frustrating things can be when trying create a sound that inspires people to move their feet, practice is the mother of all skill. no matter how much rhythm you think that you do or don't have, practice is the mother of all skill. Even on days when my head is down, and I think to myself.. "why am I even doing this? I have so far to go playing at the level that I would like to be" That motto and the inspiration of my teacher keeps me going and I practice anyway. Good luck to you from one practicing conga player to another!

Mike

[CongaTick]

Good and encouraging advice, Mike, and a set of excercises I think are simple, yet demanding enough to bring results. In many cases what a new player is looking for is a basis of comparison, the ability to KNOW that his open/slap/bass/toe is or isn't on the mark compared to perfect samples he can hear. I would also therefore advise you download/record any sampling of the proper sound of these strokes. Pete Lockett's web site may be a good source. Other pros here can recommend others, perhaps. And by the way, no matter how many years I've been playing, I still practice my strokes daily (No, not that stroke, guys) in order to perform them with the least physical effort and the greatest impact and clarity. But practice --- as you say-- is the MOTHER...

[jmdriscoll]

Yeah, I am one of those types that tried to put the horse in front of the carriage by learning the patterns before getting my technique down. sounds kind of blended together and there was no tone definition. The more that I learn, the more that I realize that I don't know. I recently bought a jam block and kick pedal... Wow, it is hard to play a clave pattern with my feet while playing... I can't do it. The best that I can do at this point is mark the down beat while playing a straight tumbao. Once I start going into variations, I lose it. BUT.. I WILL practice it until I get it. then I will move on to 2/3 and 3/2 son and rumba clave... but that will probably be a while.

The Tomas Cruz conga method books are the next best thing to a teacher in my opinion. in his first volume, he shows you all of the main hits that your going to play and gives you a lot of similar exercises to teach tone definition..

Mike