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I have a "mental block" that I need suggestions on how best to set up so I can move forward...

I have 2 ea. 12" drums and 1 ea. 11" drum. My fingers can't work well due to size on the 11" as being my main "center" drum.
Note: No $ to pick up another drum at this time.

Would you suggest I...

A. Tune one 12" drum to a "Conga" pitch and make it my center drum and have the other 12" to my right tuned to a lower pitch "Tumba" and make the 11" my higher pitched "Quinto" on the left?

B. Deal with the 11" "Quinto" and learn to make it work in the center?

C. Tune a 12" drum to a higher pitched "Quinto" and put in the center and have the other 12" to my right tuned to a lower "Tumba" pitch and tune the 11" drum to a "Conga" pitch and place on my left?

Maybe my question is confusing?

I have 3 drums.

1=11"
2=12"

I like the 3 drums in a row layout plus I can learn from Lamy better this way I think. The 11" drum is too small for my hands to work well on it so should I...

move the 11" quinto to the left and tune it lower like a conga and tune up one of the 12" drums to a quinto pitch and use that in the middle?
or
get used to the 11" drum and leave it in the middle and have each of the 12" drums to the sides like most?

you need another conga . 11./4 only way to go bro . I know your $$$$ are low , but it would be good to just maybe buy a used Conga matador etc.....

12 and 12 tuned what ever way is never going to sound right IMHO

marco

hey

no question, B.

C. would not sound good, because of a bad relation from skin-diameter and bodysize to the applied pitch. the high pitched 12" drum will be much louder than the low pitched 11".
better get used to that 11" as central drum.

A. Works quiet well, but is no usual set up. for learning "traditional" 3set playing a conga-quinto-tumba setup is common.

by the way, qinto-conga-tumba setup like it is played by some known players does not mean, the conga was the most employed drum.

anyway, you will have to be able to play on 11" sized drums. why not start right now?

greetings

zwar

zwar wrote:hey

no question, B.

C. would not sound good, because of a bad relation from skin-diameter and bodysize to the applied pitch. the high pitched 12" drum will be much louder than the low pitched 11".
better get used to that 11" as central drum.

A. Works quiet well, but is no usual set up. for learning "traditional" 3set playing a conga-quinto-tumba setup is common.

by the way, qinto-conga-tumba setup like it is played by some known players does not mean, the conga was the most employed drum.

anyway, you will have to be able to play on 11" sized drums. why not start right now?

greetings

zwar

Thanks!

You are a new player right?
Forget multiple drum setups, play one drum 'til you are getting some decent sounds out of it imo.

I agree with Thomas, I've been playing for almost 2 years. At first I was all about 2 drums and even 3 but as time went by I leaned toward one drum and learning all the patterns possible on it. When I play 3 which is not often I use a 10 1/2" 11" 11.75." I have a bigger drum but not a lot of space so I use this set up. I have small hands so I can work with the 10 1/2." The only time I have some trouble is with matanza guaguanco when you need both hands on the drum doing heel tips. with bigger hands I'm sure you can still work with a 11" inch drum the right hand is usually slapping and doing open tones which don't require the whole hand on the drum.

thomas newton wrote:You are a new player right?
Forget multiple drum setups, play one drum 'til you are getting some decent sounds out of it imo.

Yes I am. Funny you say that... I just now tuned down my Tumba and Conga and took my Quinto upstairs to have more time on it alone! You read my mind! Ha! Ha!

I am also a beginner; I've only been playing since mid January. I Also have to agree with Thomas and Tone74 I think it's best to start out with just one drum. I've improved so much in the past two months and I think if I had tried to start out with two drums I would have been overwhelmed. It's amazing how many sounds you can make out of just a conga. What's important in the beginning is getting the right tones out of your drum and you don't really need two drums to do that. When you can make one drum sound like several imagine how amazing you'll be when you start working with more.

As far as tuning goes it comes with time. I was really concerned about tuning when I first got my drums, but then I decided to just focus on learning how to play. Now I can tune my drums to a key that sounds right to my ears and be satisfied each time. I think I had kind of a mental block because besides drumset I also play bass and piano and both of those instruments are tuned to specific keys. However when I tried to tune the conga to a specific key ( C Major like some people suggested) I wasn't happy with the way it sounded. I found the best way for me to tune my congas was to set up the conga and the tumba and play Guaguanco when the two drums are the right distance apart for that rhythm I always like the way they sound. Anyway keep practicing and congratulations on your new drums.

conguera2 wrote:I am also a beginner; I've only been playing since mid January. I Also have to agree with Thomas and Tone74 I think it's best to start out with just one drum. I've improved so much in the past two months and I think if I had tried to start out with two drums I would have been overwhelmed. It's amazing how many sounds you can make out of just a conga. What's important in the beginning is getting the right tones out of your drum and you don't really need two drums to do that. When you can make one drum sound like several imagine how amazing you'll be when you start working with more.

As far as tuning goes it comes with time. I was really concerned about tuning when I first got my drums, but then I decided to just focus on learning how to play. Now I can tune my drums to a key that sounds right to my ears and be satisfied each time. I think I had kind of a mental block because besides drumset I also play bass and piano and both of those instruments are tuned to specific keys. However when I tried to tune the conga to a specific key ( C Major like some people suggested) I wasn't happy with the way it sounded. I found the best way for me to tune my congas was to set up the conga and the tumba and play Guaguanco when the two drums are the right distance apart for that rhythm I always like the way they sound. Anyway keep practicing and congratulations on your new drums.

conguera2,

I also have taken the advice from Thomas and Tone74. I practice on one drum the Bolero Rhythm and various Tumbao versions. I have the drum covered with a towel and play on and off throughout the day. I can't wait to pull off the towel in a month or two! It will be like opening a Christmas present that I already knew what was in it!

Is there a reason why your using a towel???...U may want to just cover the head with a T shirt like pull it over the whole head rather than lay a towel on it , if u have to practice that way...do u live in an apartment?...."JC" Johnny Conga

JConga wrote:Is there a reason why your using a towel???...U may want to just cover the head with a T shirt like pull it over the whole head rather than lay a towel on it , if u have to practice that way...do u live in an apartment?...."JC" Johnny Conga

No Johnny I have a two story house with wood floors. The congas are loud and my wife, kids watch tv upstairs in the pm so because my drums and peace of mind for me and them are more important I cover them to practice and they don't fuse.

But the day I think I got it down man!!Wow! Watch out!!! The towel is coming off! Let's jam!!!