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Posted: **Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:53 pm**

Not sure if this is the correct forum but here goes.
How do some salseros consider to use a quinto or conga in Salsa genre? I know its mostly about personal preferences, but the more traditional old school congueros seem to use congas over a quinto + a lower tuned conga or tumba.

What is your opinion/preferences on this?

It seems the big boys : Baretto, Tata, Papo etc etc use a conga & conga or tumba on traditional salsa, and some (Edddie to name one-some more I can't remember off the top of my head) use quinto/conga for more modern type salsa, jazz.

What about the tuning? I at times use a conga/tumba, but need to crank the conga waaaay up. Other times I use a quinto tuned down. When I say quinto : 11", conga 11-3/4".

T

Posted: **Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:11 pm**

Im trying to figure this out myself as well Tonio... I like having the combination of conga tumba for salsa, but I am trying to decide where to put my quinto. A lot of guys play the quinto in front of them and tumba to the right and conga to the left. This set up is ok, but like I said I like having the conga in front of me and tumba to the right. But then when I put my quinto to the left, it doesnt feel right. I tried it behind the conga, and that doesn't feel right either. I might put some feet on it and try it in behind the conga like Jerry gonzalez, this might feel better.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:42 am**

When I play a salsa gig I usually play with just conga/tumba or sometimes if there's enough room and mics on stage: conga to left, quinto (tuned down) and tumba to right. (LP Palladiums)
ciao
pavlo

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:49 am**

Ive reently been playing around I use conga in front tumba to the right ,then quinto to the right of the tumba tuned low . I have had some real nice sessions with this set up . not traditional I know but I live in the Uk .

Im told we can get away with this :cool:

.

also i like to move around from time to time trying different set up quinto in front tumba to the right or left conga tuned up and low . But at the end of the day I much prefer to use conga in front with tumba low to the right .

marco

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:30 am**

Thanks, but I am referig to when you only use 2 drums.
Sure I like to have 3, but sometimes I don't need them 2 will do.
To re-ask my question, what "macho" drum is prefered in Salsa? Is it a "group" oriented preference, or is it more a "sound fashion" thing.
e.g. Dave Samuels , Presents Tjaderized album. Its meant to be old school.
All the the congueros seem to be using a conga, tumba, whereas they ususally use a quinto, conga on other gigs.

I don't think its about real estate of a playing surface, I think its about the tone, conga gives you more low end, and the slap is more of a splat than a crack.
Not to sound racists or anything, but Puerto Rican congueros seem to conga /tumba more than quinto/conga. Maybe the whole Bomba mindset with bigger drums?

T

Edited By Tonio on 1187663573

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:11 am**

I, too, keep configuring and re-configuring.

In the beginning I had (from left to right): conga (tuned to B), quinto (tuned to middle C) and tumba (tuned to G below) quite similar to Luis Conte's physical setup (not necessarily the tuning).

Next, I switched to: quinto (F above middle C), conga (middle C) & tumba (G below) after watching and listening to percussionist Sue Hadjopoulos of the "Joe Jackson Band" on VH1. Actually, Sue only used a 2-drum setup during the live gig that I watched.

After watching Changuito's DVD, for a while I was happy with just a 2-drum setup: conga (middle C) and tumba (G), which he called "macho" and "hembra", respectively. And if ever there was to be a 3rd drum, he taught that it has to be another conga, not a quinto. He called this 2nd conga appropriately as a "segunda" (tuned lower than the "macho" but higher than the "hembra"). The "segunda" had to be to the left of the "macho", for right-handed players. Changuito taught that the quinto (D to F above middle C) was to be used only for soloing as in rumba playing.

Then, I was back to: quinto (middle C), conga (B below) and tumba (G below). However, the setup this time was somewhat based on Poncho Sanchez' setup of: conga, segunda conga & tumba.

Most recently, after watching Glenn Caruba's DVD on "The Contemporary Percussionist", which I mostly am, it has become: conga (A below), quinto (D above middle C) & tumba (G). I like this setup and tuning the best. I like the conga being a 4th below the quinto and the tumba being a 5th below the quinto. This has produced the best melodic and jazzy or pop sound combination I've ever heard yet from my set.

Edited By mjtuazon on 1187731509

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:07 am**

Sounds good mjtuazon.... I like how you tune to certain pitches... I usually tune to intervals (4ths or 5ths). I am going to try pitches with my new ISLAS

:p Sorry if I went a little off topic Tonio, but to answer your original question.... I prefer to use conga, tumba for salsa. I like the sound relationship between these two. I think depending on the type of band you are playing with, has to do with what combination you would use. This is just my opinion, but I would say with a smaller salsa group you could use conga, tumba... But with a bigger group (like with more horns) you might use quinto, conga.... This would be so your slaps could cut thru more, and your open tones would be heard easier... this is just my opinion though, I could be wrong.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:45 am**

Hi Tonio. I am not a top notch conguero, but I can relate to all the discussions I have read. All you guys know your stuff. Incredible. I think I know what you are asking. If I may, I want to mention a CD that you might want to listen to. It is Titled..." Los Ritmos Calientes" by Cal Tjader. What a loss that was when he passed away. Anyway, on this cd you will hear early Armando Peraza, and Mongo Santamaria playing what I believe is a Conga/Tumba combination tuned low, but the tones, slaps, etc are so beautiful that you will probably want to play the tunes over and over. It might not be Salsa, but more like Afro/Latin/ Jazz, but I think that you will get some of the answers that you are looking for.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:51 am**

HEY GUYS,

THIS IS THE COMBINATION THAT I AM CURRENTLY USING WHEN PLAYING WITH JUST TWO DRUMS:

AN 11" QUINTO, BETWEEN MY LEGS, AND A 13" TUMBA TO MY RIGHT. PLEASE REMEMBER, THAT PROPER TUNING IS "SUPER- DUPER", IMPORTANT!!! OK, 1ST, AND FOREMOST, I WILL TUNE MY TUMBA TO THE RIGHT BASS PITCH. WITH LATIN JAZZ, OR SALSA, I'LL TUNE IT TOWARDS THE THE HIGHER END, THEN TUNE MY QUINTO TO IT.

IT'S PURELY, A PREFERENCE, EXPERIENCE, AND OBJECTIVE THING.

FOLKLORIC BOMBAS, AND PLENAS, ARE, WHOLE DIFFERENT MONSTERS. ("NOT JUST A PUERTO RICAN THING"). BUT RATHER THIS; YOU'D BE SURPRISED, TO FIND OUT, JUST HOW MANY PLAYERS, REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO TUNE, AND OR, MAINTAIN THEIR DRUMS, WHILE PLAYING AT AT A GIG, OR JAM. IT'S AMAZING!

SOME GUYS JUST DON'T HAVE A CLUE. TUNING YOUR DRUMS TO THE RIGHT PITCHES, AND MAINTAINING THEM, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS. :;): :cool:

RESPECTFULLY,
CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

Edited By yambu321 on 1187730115

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:37 am**

Tonio,
I think the sounds the band is playing is gonna tell you which drums you want to play.
You want to play somewhere that another instrument isn't playing, so your not overlapping somewhere, dig?
If that means, quinto or conga then thats it, but I think only by listening to where you are fitting is is going to tell you..

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:01 am**

bongosnotbombs wrote:I think the sounds the band is playing is gonna tell you which drums you want to play.

bongosnotbombs,

If I may be allowed to butt in, I'd say that that's so true. Depending on the band, I find myself bringing usually 2 or 3 drums. I haven't played rumba group in my life, but I imagine that I'll just be bringing my quinto should I ever play in one.

Also, with respect to tuning, the repertoire of the songs the band your playing with will perform will help determine what pitch to use for your drums. With the bands that I'm currently playing with, I find that varying the tuning of my quinto to either middle C or D and tuning the conga and tumba a 4th and 5th below either C or D, respectively, covers most of the keys of the songs the bands play.

Edited By mjtuazon on 1187690799

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:26 pm**

Charlie so you like the quinto tumba combo for jazz,salsa etc? That is a combo that intrigues me then maybe the conga out front? I believe JC likes the quinto tumba setup Ithink I read that in some other posting.

Edited By vinnieL on 1187706528

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:33 pm**

I'll admit I'm clueless when it comes to tuning I just listen to a song or cd and try to get close to it. And forget that C,D,G stuff I don't even have a keyboard or anything to do that. I also found out guitar tuners don't work well at all they are all over the place. Someone needs to invent a conga tuner! :p By the way what songs or cd's do you guys know of for sure where the conguero is using quinto,conga,tumba? I'm interested as that is what I ordered from Isla.

Edited By vinnieL on 1187706986

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:02 pm**

Thanks for all the replies !!

Manny, you have it down to pitches !!

folkloricoSD- yup that s my moto too, did you get your Isla's yet/

the breeze- I think I have that LP, will have to take a closer listen, its been a while.

charlie- super duper tunning it is !!

BNB- I think you nailed it- the band will make the call to where it all fits.

I think this all stems from going back to traditional music. Since previously I have been more on the Latin Jazz, with amplified bass, drums keys etc. So it tend to use quinto, conga.

Now I'm looking at playing more old school stuff, so I'll have more opportunities to use conga, tumba.

T

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:58 pm**

vinnieL wrote:I don't even have a keyboard or anything to do that. I also found out guitar tuners don't work well at all they are all over the place. Someone needs to invent a conga tuner!

vinnieL,

Other than my daughter's $100 or less Cascio mini-keyboard and my virtual keyboard program in my laptop, I use my good old reliable round pitch pipe which I used to use for singing accapella with my harmony group. Try it. I highly recommend it. It's even very handy, unlike the mini-keyboard. Even a good one, should cost only between $20 & $30.

Hey, a conga tuner (similar to how a guitar tuner works) is a great idea! You might want to seriously consider inventing one, if there isn't one already. You might just end up becoming filty rich! :;):

Edited By mjtuazon on 1187730078

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