BABY STEPS ARE THE WAY TO SUCCESS - A NEW CONGERO, WITH 3 DRUMS.

[yambu321]

:cool:



Edited By yambu321 on 1196164438

[vinnieL]

Tremenda lectura compadre. People like you are the ones who will keep our culture alive and kicking and helping pass it on to those willing to learn. I am grateful t have people like you,JC,Mario at Isla,Manny and several others who offer so much to this forum. Well Mario always talks to me via phone would be nice to have him join.

[yambu321]

:cool:



Edited By yambu321 on 1196164494

[109-1176549166]

Charlie,

Another one in a growing series of your sage, commonsensical advice! Thanks, bro!

[yambu321]

:cool:



Edited By yambu321 on 1196721390

[vinnieL]

What I appreciate is that when you are learning you get caught up in this whirlwind and some of it is fun but some if it is not because they end up costing you in the long run. Then you get that one piece of advice from someone that slaps you in the face and re-focuses you in the right direction. Hopefully 10-15 years from now I can draw from the many conversations I've had with some genuingly good folks and pass it on to someone else. I can admit I know nothing but thats why
I will always try to keep learning. And don't be surprised if I show up on the west coast looking to meet the people that helped guide me through the infancy of my conga education.

[Garvin]

I have played as many as five congas at times when practicing at home. I would never perform with five. I'm nowhere near where I know I want to be technique-wise to pull that off tastefully. I have to force myself to work with a quinto and conga only at times because I feel myself sacraficing technique in order to play melodies. I think your tips on stripping it down to only one (or in my case two) drums is a great point.

[hueroconguero]

I own 6 congas, but typically play 4 in my usual set-up. I find that when I haven't played in a while ( for me, a long time is a week), it is important that i just get my quinto or conga and sit with it between my legs and just go through rudiments/basic exercises. I almost feel I'm dis-respecting my drums if I think I can just sit down and control my 4 "friends". I agree that one drum is the key to keeping our technique true. Often times I can get sloppy, or take shortcuts, or show-off in
a gig (most people have never seen seen a decent conguero). So it's extra important to me to go back to one drum and play properly.

respectfully
huero

[JohnnyConga]

Being of the "ol skool" from the first skool...we learned to play ONE drum first then 2 .....u can surround urself with all the drums u want, but to play just one and make it more than it is, is really where it's at...all that "flash and burn" playing is cool, too and has its own place also....but to "talk" on one drum is an ART!....chek out the new kid on youtube.com type in Reinaldo and watch the video called "Conguero Reinaldo Practicing".....so many congueros, so little time!'...."JC" Johnny Conga....

[OLSONGO]

Yes it all starts on one drum, why go any further if you don't have the fundamentals on one drum, I didn't play out in public on a gig after 3 years of wood shedding.

Now if the gig pays I will take 3 drums plus other toys pandeiro, timbales , shekere. etc...and at home I have set up up to 8 drums in many different ways; call it audio visuals.

You can make a piano out of congas, tuned correctly; but you better have the roadies to help you set up.

Paz Olsongo

[JohnnyConga]

Chek out at youtube.com....."La Mole presents Georgie Padilla", now chek out this "elder" and his technique, speed and clarity, on the congas and bongos..what you will see is a style that hasnt been seen around in a long time......"JC" Johnny Conga.....

[OLSONGO]

JC can't youtube the video as you state it.
Paz Olsongo

[109-1176549166]

THANKS MANNY,
GLAD TO BE ABLE TO READ YOUR POSTS AGAIN. FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS ALL I WOULD SEE IN YOUR POSTS WERE SMILEY FACES

GLAD YOU'RE BACK1 :;):

Charlie,

Me too! I got all your posts and 2 PMs re: your concern about my posts appearing blank to you. I tried responding to your 2 PMs, but all I received were bounced email notices.

FYI, I had exactly the same problem with bongosnotbombs. But, I was able to figure out that there was a button on his emails that I needed to click on for all his messages to reappear. I suspect that I may have accidentally clicked on that button on one of bongosnotbombs prior emails. And I suspect that you might have done the same.

I tried fixing your problem myself by trying to recall exactly how I fixed my problem with bongosnotbombs. Unfortunately, now that I no longer have a problem with his emails, I just couldn't seem to find that button anymore. Perhaps, the button disappears when the problem is fixed. ???



Edited By mjtuazon on 1187822624