congaplace.com

I'm looking to buy just one drum right now. Conga or quinto? Also: why? Your help in this decision would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, people!

MCK

Go for the Conga.

You can always add the Quinto and Tumba later. Quinto is for soloing and Conga has a more comfortable fit on the hands.

Conga. It is more versatile.

Derbeno wrote:Go for the Conga.

You can always add the Quinto and Tumba later. Quinto is for soloing and Conga has a more comfortable fit on the hands.

I totally agree.

I agree with my Conguero bretheren, the most practial to start with is the CONGA.

Derbeno wrote:Go for the Conga.

You can always add the Quinto and Tumba later.

But what to add to conga+tumba. I tried quinto and I felt it's a bit too small for my hands, but I want the 3'rd drum to be the high one .....

Washboard,
in all honesty any drum will do when you are looking at sounds and basic patterns but ideally get a drum on which you can put both hands, flat and side by side and they should not touch each other or the bearing edge.

Conga or quinto?

If you intend to play with non-conga musicians: quinto
The quinto will more easily be heard generally with other noisy people around.

If you intend to play with conga bangers: conga
Conga bangers, the kind you might meet at a drum circle, can't keep time and insist on soloing. If you want to find a place in that crowd, go for the conga or the tumba and play basic rhythms and keep time. Those monkey-ass soloists may never understand that you have elevated their noise toward sounding more musical. In fact, you'll prop up their misconceptions about their entitlement to jam and solo while they assume you haven't the raw creative spark to solo or play top percussion. Needless to say perhaps, I've served my time in this role and have become now what others call a drum nazi, meaning I now choose selectively those with whom I will play. But I can say from experience, struggling for the solo role with unskilled players is an empty pursuit ... whereas providing some basic musical structure to the same crowd has some limited positive outcome. So don't fight them ... support them instead.

If you intend to play with other conga players: Set your sound apart from the other players.
This may mean playing a quinto, a conga, or a tumba ... depending on what the other players are playing. Also look to their particular models. Don't double up on someone else's sound ... you'll just walk on each other. If you're playing with more experienced players, they may very well expect you to play basic time-keeping rhythms. This will best be served with a conga or even a tumba.

If you intend to play alone: Pay no mind to conga vs. quinto ... just go play some drums and buy the one that calls you.

Now for some thread jacking:

Mr. Newton says:
"Tradition is not the custody of ashes but the propagation of fire."

I admire and inquire:
That's nice ... I like it. It diplomatically captures a sentiment I have tried to express. Did you author it? Suggesting that tradition is not the end of one's interest, that one may look to internal creativity with traditional experiences serving as influence, can be a sticky issue that can spin traditionalists off into angry directions.

Cheers,
BMac

BMac wrote:Mr. Newton says:
"Tradition is not the custody of ashes but the propagation of fire."

Did you author it?
Cheers,
BMac

I heard it from my favourite bonsai artist http://www.walter-pall.de