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Every teacher I've ever studied under has stressed the importance of keeping your fingers together while playing, and if my pinky finger hangs a bit apart from the other digits, they are quick to point that out and remind me to keep my fingers together. But the thing is, EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of those teachers I've ever had, including Giovanni Hidalgo (only one lesson, though), as well as many people I've seen in videos, is guilty of doing the very same thing when they play, at least sometimes, if not most or all of the time. There's always that pinky finger, ever the non-conformist, standing apart from the rest of his brethren. I've seen this with every one of my teachers. So what's the fuss about? It's kind of difficult to keep your pinky together with the other fingers, and even a bit stiff and uncomfortable to. It doesn't seem to affect the sound in any way. So what's the big deal with all these teachers failing to practice what they preach? And why do they preach it in the first place?

Let me start by saying that noone has perfect technique. But that is no reason not to strive to acheive it. The ideal way to hold your hand is with all the fingers together. A good teacher will give you an ideal to shoot for, but human hands are not machines and everyone will hold the hands slightly different.
I just played some tones on a conga and looked at my pinky finger. It's not touching the other fingers, but it is really close. I guess it just falls under the "do as I say, not as I do" category.
Just like some of my teachers have always tried to get me to flatten my hands some when I do my slaps, and at first it seemed ridiculous. I would look at their hands when they played slaps, and they weren't flat. They were trying to show me the best way to do it, something to strive for. After playing for many years I am still working on flattening my slaps, and the flatter I can get it, the better it sounds.
Good luck, and keep on practicing that perfect tone.

Hi Scott . I here you on this one bro.
Its something I am working on too , the best example I have seen of disciplined pinky fingers is our own JC . I have watched many videos of JC and his strict form and style is obvious . check out this video http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2mQ1JOOs6LE&NR=1.
Like many things we do we pick up bad habbits but its good that you are aware like me and are working on polishing things up . goingquinos coments are spot on too . no one is perfect . Im sure even JC will agree .

Hows those Islas ? Mine are now 6 months old and sounding better everytime I play um .

The most important thing with your hand position and stance is relaxation. There shouldn't be any tension at all to achieve great sound and speed. Just let your arm hang on the side of your body completely relaxed. Look at your hand. Everybody is different, some people will have their pinky (and all fingers ) more or less close depending on their physiology. This hand position is how your hand should be on the congas.
You will notice that JC actually has tiny spaces between various fingers that is because he is relaxed!
Hand position is the consequence of your relaxed stance not an artificial ideal to copy.
This is where conga technique is very akin to martial arts. You will achieve hardness through the softness! The hardest hit comes from the limpest hand, and also you will save a lot of pain for yourself.
Giovanni is the most impressive off all, his hand looks totally limp and his pinky is slightly detached.
Now achieving this level of relaxation in the hand while your wrist is contracting at 200mph is only achieved through a lot hard work , it is not enough to just think to relax, it is something to work on for years!

I hope this will help

My teachers have always told me (quote: goingquinto) "do as I say, not as I do".
You should strife for the perfect technique when practicing, and when it comes time to playing live 'let it all go'.
because somewhere along the road your brain has picked up all the repeticion(sp?) you've done in the practice room, and your brain is automatically gonna do what you have told it to do all those many countless times.

Mikkel

Some good advice in here so far, but basically its pretty simple..

Fingers together (a must!) as you are learning and developing correct approach, knowledge, technique, speed and above all sound. In time, with experience your fingers will tend to open up on their own and still produce correct sound, providing you have laid the correct foundations.

Observe my pinky (left)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhbR0lXVYno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz77KHYyBl0

Now Laurent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwGXhhraIjs

Observe Arturo's finger spacing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIoCtSuJbQM

Anga:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_rRlJPK4OI

Anga again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0-5DjKqC-I

In summary without seeing just what you are doing or at what level you are at in your playing, its hard to say whether what you are doing is fine or whether your finger is coming away way too much. At the end of the day, you should do as your teacher suggests, in time, one develops little cheats one can get away with, as long as you are not cheating yourself.

The important thing in developing technique is to wear a mask like Abakua's while practicing.

CongaTick wrote:The important thing in developing technique is to wear a mask like Abakua's while practicing.

That's a mask?

I think we got pinkies sorted. How about thumbs?

I've tried taping, welding, stapling and gluing my pinky to "ringman", but to no avail, "pinky" has a mind of it's own!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp1VV1g- ... annel_page

Maybe a mask in in order!

Ache Mis Hermanos!

Onile!

ABAKUA,

I love this tune with the mask!
It is an adaptation of chacha lokafun isn't it?
You play it with great flair and strength!

nice one, no tto mention the mask!