Different Hand Patterns For the Same Rhythm

[Muata]

Peace & Blessings to all the congueros and aspiring congueros (like myself) on the list. I have a quick question.

I consider myself in between a beginner and intermediate player, and I've learned the majority of my rhythms from various videotapes (e.g., Kalani, Sanabria, Soto, etc.) and the Conga Book by Dworsky.

Anyway, I am very comfortable playing guaguanco the way Kalani teaches it on his video; however, Dworsky has the same rhythm but a diffferent hand pattern and strokes. I feel more comfortable playing the guaguanco the way Kalani shows it than the one if Dworsky's book. I know there are a gazillion hand patterns for playing guaganco on two drums: however, is it wrong to favor one particular hand pattern over another when playing the same rhythm?

Thanks in advance for you answers and to Conga Place for creating a space in which so many aspiring congueros can learn SO MUCH just from reading posts.

One Love,
Muata

[JohnnyConga]

IRE! Respect Mon...Just got back from Jamaica..so it's still in the blood. Muata. I will make it simple for you..VARIETY! is the KEY!. The more you have in your Arsenal the stronger you are, so learn all the different ways, by all means. It can only serve you when you have the knowledge of rhythms in ALL it;s "Forms". I have what I call "Commercial Guanguanco" very simple but not played the way the Cubans or the Puerto Ricans play it..something I developed from my "Latin-Rock days of the rearly 70;s. Close to Santanaesque, similar but different. Hope that helps!..At your Service....JC JOHNNY CONGA.... Chek my site at http://www.ShowGigs.com/johnnyConga.......

[Simon B]

Could you post notation for your Commericial Guagaunco JC?

[JohnnyConga]

Hello Simon.. I'm not one for notating rhythms. It's hands on with me. It looses in the translation of notation for me. I play it Cuban style, Puerto Rican style(which includes more left hand slaps), and American which is just --Low highhigh-Lowlow with the left hand shuffle played completely before you go to the low drum to repeat the phrase. I hope it helps,I know it can be confusing. I'm not accustomed to notating online or even privatly. It takes away from the memory and creates a dependency on reading. It's good to be able to read (which I do) but nobody writes rhythms out for conga players, you either know them or you don't. That has been my experience in the music biz for over 30 years. Most charts for latin drummers just have the name of the rhythm they want you to play ex.Cha cha cha, bolero,danzon. Hope this helps a little. One day i hope to be able to show you online, but I don't have it hooked up yet, need the camera and stuff.... At your Service.....JC JOHNNY CONGA...