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I got some of the Skyndeep heads for a set of Patato congas. I like the way they sound, but I lost the ability to make a sigh. (The sound you get when you slide your finger across the head to make it go "woooooooo".) The synth heads are really smooth and slick, so I couldn't get any friction for the sigh. Last night, at band practice, I decided to try a new idea. I took a candle and rubbed it on the head so that I put a really thin coat of wax on it. Now I can get sighs out of the drum with ease, and it also dried the sound up a little bit. The wax felt fine on the hands, I don't think there will be a problem with that. I used just regular household candle wax, parafin wax. I'd like to maybe try beeswax too, but I didn't have any.

Has anyone else ever tried this or maybe some other ideas?

I currently use synthetic heads, regular fiberskyn crimplock. I can't do a moose call on my quinto, but I have no problems doing it on my conga drum. I found that after I lick the tip of my finger, I tap it on my pants once to get rid of excess moisture. I found that too much saliva will make things too slippery. Good thing about the wax though...maybe I'll try that with my quinto. Hope that helps.

Hello!

I also have fyberskin heads on tumba, conga and quinto and can get 'moose call' with a bit of my saliva and when nails are trimmed.
Good idea with wax, I'll try it, just to lay it down on a place of skin where usually 'call the moose'...

Keep the ideas coming!

PimpS

Use the perspiration off of your forehead.

I haven't done it with synthetic heads, but I do the same with Pandeiro, or I did when I used to play it.