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Slap vs "Pop"

PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 2:00 pm
by stride88
Hi,

I'm new to playing the congas. I'm trying to teach myself and I'm just playing on my own for fun. As a result, I have no one to give me any feedback. Hoping you fellow forum members might be able to pass along some advice/comments about this.

I am working on all the tones, and of coarse, the slap is proving to be most difficult. When I listen to players on YouTube, their slaps sound more like a "slap", whereas I'm getting more of a popping sound. Is this partly because of the sound quality on YouTube, or should I be trying to get more of a slap sound than a pop?

Hope this makes sense. Look forward to any replies.

Re: Slap vs "Pop"

PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:52 pm
by JohnnyConga
Getting a "Slap" versus a "Pop" in my experience(48 years now),and after all these years even my slap has changed...first you will get a semblance of a "pop." Try clapping one hand into another if you get a "pop" from one hand to the other than the hand is in the proper form to achieve a 'pop' on a drum..It also requires that you actually "slap" it hard ..if your finger tips do not 'sting' your not slapping hard enough to get the "pop" or the "slap sound". I can now get a Pop or a Slap sound, but using technique over power...see my videos on youtube.com at ...http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnnyConga ..

Re: Slap vs "Pop"

PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 2:04 pm
by Seneferu
When producing a slap, start by holding your palm facing forward above the head of the drum. Slowly bring your hand down cupping it as you are coming down onto the head. When striking the head, make sure the fingertips are making the contact. The heel of the hand will also make some contact, not as much. Kind of grab the head kind of. You will get anywhere of s poppy, snappy crisp sound. That is the nature of the slap. It is the high note on the drum. Great for accents. If done correctly, you can play soft slaps. Good luck and peace.