congaplace.com

Hey everyone,

I recently switched to the Pearl Elite Folkloric drums, which have thick Australian water Buffalo skin. I understand the slaps sound more like pops, due to thickness of skin, but my first two joints, in my fingers hurts on my hand when I slap. I didnt have this problem when I had the Bobby Allende or Matador drums. I can't afford to get lessons from someone, so they can help me correct problem until tax refund time. So any help is appreciated.

Godspeed

1. How hard are you slapping the drum? Start at a moderate volume; no need to play loud when practicing.
2. Are you flexing your fingertips on impact? The instant your fingertips hit the drum, relax them.
3. Work on your closed slaps; open slaps will come in time, and those hurt like hell.
4. Don't push into the head with fingertips; use the supporting hand to close the slap sound fully.

Slaps are generally more of a fingertip affair (or 1st joint max.). Your knuckles should barely come in touch with the head surface, if at all; at least you don't emphasize this point of contact.

Releasing the pressure and not "grabbing" the slap is important.

I usually start practicing and teaching open slaps. Once you can get that one, correct closed slaps become a toy game. Otherwise you are tempted to deceive yourself and fall into a habit of improper technique. That's my experience.

I have not met one student who did not have pains at first, in the try-and-search period. When I started playing, I played closed slaps (1979) and didn't have less pain. I guess you can't avoid it. But you can overcome this period by using proper technique (acceleration from wrist turn) and finding the right spots on your hands and on the drum. The level of the wrist position in relation to the head surface is also important. Then there is a number of common mistakes that may occur ... not really mistakes, but disadvantages that will give you a hard time, where others just enjoy drumming along.

I'm afraid it's too difficult to describe what you should do and what you shouldn't without you being present. It's hard enough to explain that to a student in a live lesson! It's a physical experience at last, a body memory thing. Some people develop a nice slap within a couple of weeks, others struggle for several months. There are so many motoric parameters working together at the same time that it wouldn't make sense to even try to instruct each involved muscle fiber. So the last part of the way you would have to go by yourself, anyway.

I think, on the long run you got to go find a teacher, if only for a limited number of lessons first. If you can't afford that, you must afford a long and painful time instead - which is also valuable, so you get to know your drum and yourself better, albeit the hard way

When I started, there was no YouTube; not even home videos ... I'm sure you will find your way, too - sooner or later.

Thomas

Thank you both, you guys are right on every point. I am doing something wrong on this drum.

Godspeed

Both of the above posts need no elaboration! They pretty much covered it, but I've got some visuals to go with it. Watch Changuito's hands..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI6ggigfQa8&feature=share

The difference between the drums that I played, and the Folkloric is height and skin thickness. It is really exposing my technical short comings, but I don't want to run back, the open tone are sooo juicy.

but I've got some visuals to go with it. Watch Changuito's hands..

That's the one to see. Also see Tata Güines at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaEjEzIbUvY and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivlfKbJb70g .

Of course there are other styles that are no less musical. There are great drummers who use a completely different technique. But when I see people like Anga and an echelon of today's leading conga drummers, these two were obviously the ones who showed the direction. Maybe there were others that I don't know. I would say that Tata and Changuito, without relating one to the other, defined today's mainstream conga technique.

TA

Windhorse,

I want to thank you so much for putting out that video; never heard of it, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't have given it a chance. I am about 30 minutes into it.

Thomas,

The same to you, thank you for showing me a buried treasure; as soon as I am done with Chango, I will step over to Tata.

Just the little time I spent watching; I noticed that I thought my time practicing was well spent, but infact, it's like a bowl of spaghetti (all over the place, and not truly focus).

Thanks CongaPlace

Kaban, I do not know which city or country you are in, but have you considered an experienced teacher?

There is simply no substitute to spending an hour or two with a teacher that can quickly straighten out a lot of things fo you, then you can better use the videos to build on.

Apologies should already be working with one.

Derbeno,

Your right, I am currently working on getting instruction. I will update soon.

Hey Kaban,

As a progressing amateur, I can comment on my own experiences.

When I first started seeking slaps I cupped my hands quite a bit. The cupping of my hands inadvertently flexed the first and second knuckles backward a bit with each slap. Not a lot, but just enough to create some repetitive strain injury. As I've continued playing, my hands have gotten progressively flatter. Now my slaps are very very relaxed and my hands are barely cupped, if at all. My slaps also pop like they never did before and my tones are totally relaxed and open with my hand resting gently on the drum after the strike. It was a long process that took several years and many periods of frustration and thinking it may never happen, but, the combination of flattening out my hands and relaxing really made a big difference for me. A bit of wrist flex to barely accelerate the force of gravity is about all I put into them these days. I imagine myself in a super hot climate, trying to conserve energy while embodying a "cool" sort of latin presentation - it may seem strange but projecting myself into that place helps me chill out and relax

RR

Got it...

I did it! Today I got educated from Johnny Conga himself, he came all the way to my basement in Chicagoland (via the internet).

I have had lessons before; but John is more methodical, scientific, patience, and uses EVERYTHING known to man to teach (linguistics, standard teaching, NLP, concepts, gradual steps, positive encouragement, and demonstrations).

John has a talent for teaching; patiently/gently/nicely pushing you to your limit; I was burnt out after the hour and a half! He also spotted details in my technique that are poor, and things I do good that need polishing. After the lesson, he even gave me a history of a few popular conga players and their not well known practice habits. Today I got a college level, master's program lesson (meaning it was serious and comprehensive). All for the price of lesson from your local park district; in other words very reasonable.

I will never forget what he said, after showing him what I got; "your tumbao is good, but that don't mean nothing, now lets take you to the next level."

Awesome! As a teacher by trade, I love hearing someone praise a good teacher! Kudos Johnny!

Great advise from Thomas!

Leo Lebon once told me that you should play each strike as if it was the last one. He went even further : as if it was the last one you will ever play. He went on : imagine you are doing a show where you are only playing one strike. So, he got up, saluted the imaginary crowd, sat down, gathered himself, raised his arm and down came the perfect slap, he then got up, saluted again and pretended to leave the stage.
It was very funny, but I think there is a great lesson in there...