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hi all ,

are the types of timbales sticks differ also on length in addition to thickness ?

checkout this clip.


clip

is it hard to achieve that speed level ?

Yes, timbales sticks differ in length also. The longest ones I've seen, and that I personally prefer are, Zildjian's Marc Quinones Salsa and Rock and Vic Firth's Alex Acuna "El Palo" (purple one) Timbale sticks. MQs are my favorite but are too expensive...all of Acuna's models, including the Conquistador models, are priced pretty good....

MQ's Rock version and Acunas "El Palo" are thick sticks. Not for everybody and for the "uniniated" takes some time to get use to them. (Seen a trend of people using thick sticks lately, Regal's Changuito's are thick but are too short for me).

I have big hands and feel comfortable with long sticks and lately have preferred thick sticks. Depending how close to the timbales you play, the "extension" you get with them is pretty good.

Saludos!

How I was taught to measure a Timbale stick was because we would by wooden dowls and cut our own sticks and measure from elbow to almost the tip of your fingers for the length. Why buy them in the music stores ,just go to any hardware store where they have wooden dowls and cut your own sticks it's much cheaper that way, fuggeddabout the "brand name" kind. do it the old fashioned way. Can any of these younger cats coming up, do anything on their own? Like cut there own sticks? put on their own heads?...Everything today is being handed to them without the experience of doing it yourself, a lost art of making your own timbale sticks....try it you'll save a ton of money....at your service...JC JOHNNY CONGA....

JohnnyConga wrote:How I was taught to measure a Timbale stick was because we would by wooden dowls and cut our own sticks and measure from elbow to almost the tip of your fingers for the length. Why buy them in the music stores ,just go to any hardware store where they have wooden dowls and cut your own sticks it's much cheaper that way, fuggeddabout the "brand name" kind. do it the old fashioned way. Can any of these younger cats coming up, do anything on their own? Like cut there own sticks? put on their own heads?...Everything today is being handed to them without the experience of doing it yourself, a lost art of making your own timbale sticks....try it you'll save a ton of money....at your service...JC JOHNNY CONGA....

Good tip. What is your preferred wood and size (thickness)?

I like my sticks about the same width and circumfrence as my pinky, maybe a hair thinner. But I have sticks for Charanga for heavy duty big band playing, all thicknesses actually......JC JOHNNY CONGA....

Can anyone regard the part where i asked about the speed ...
how does it affect the ability to achieve speed , and regarding the clip ... maybe some comments on the technique the timbalero is using..

JohnnyConga wrote:I like my sticks about the same width and circumfrence as my pinky, maybe a hair thinner. But I have sticks for Charanga for heavy duty big band playing, all thicknesses actually......JC JOHNNY CONGA....

Thanks JC, I need to try it. I like the idea of making your own sticks, mounting heads, and doing some drum repair.

Hi Pini...i wasn't able to see the whole clip but the rhythm they start out playing is a Bomba rhythm from Puerto Rico. As far as speed is concerned,it's a matter of stick control and practice on a daily basis. Just like running if you want to be fast you gotta race against somebody. Right now I don't know of any timbale instructional video ,but I gotta believe sombody is working on it-Marc Quinones,Ralph Irizzary?? maybe..At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA...

Well the speed on playing,start with the basic of rudiments domination,but at one point the advanced technique of angle-position,finger-technique,use of the aerodinamics of the rebounds,etc would farther the skill.(but I have observed many times that it have to be supervise in order to make sure it comes out clean).Also remember that in the Timbales's affair,domination of syncopation,odd timing,combine time signature,and coordination is as important as speed.



Edited By zaragemca on 1110044931

regarding my right hand (the strong one) , it can dominate it very good.In fact i can play when holding the stick only with my toe and fore finger , and sometime the help of middle finger and achieve the stregth and speed needed. My left is not there yet , so i play these times mirroring the timbales and exchange the roles of the hands. i can already feel how that helps to strength my left hand which was quite weak.
The rudiments , are much easer after i feel that i can dominate the left hand as i do now.
After achieving that domination the sticks symmetry,size,thickness ... is less affects the comfort in playing.
does all timbales players need to play with both hands equally or it just not needed for practical applications?

Pini,

Like everybody says, to achieve speed you have to go the "boring" rudimental way. You have to go over and over and over, "mommy daddys", single strokes, paradibbles, etc, name them..... Yes, is preferrable you try to dominate both of your hands. You can get by with a "very weak hand" but eventually, it could catch up with you. (That is applicablee with every drum by the way but with the timbales, with the way they are been played, you have to...)

Regarding your "weak" hand...you have to work on it. Sometimes that "weak hand" could achieve things but cannot achieve others...it could eventually fail you if you dare state you are a "timbalero".....

Like it is state in another post, there is a psychological aand physiological part to it. After you achieve certain things doing the rudiments, you have to try them with the drum to make sure you get use to the bounce, etc, etc. Practice, practice.... Getting over a "weak hand" will help you deal with independence. Independence exercises will help you with a "weak hand..." (Try George Lawrence Stone's "Stick Control"...it has help me dealing with my weak hand...)

Some people will disagree but the timbales is not an easy instrument for latin percussionists who play congas and bongos. For starters, the drum set up is the other way around from congas/bongos. (For right handers, macho drum is on the right while in congas/bongos is on left...). Also, timbales need more independence and sense of clave than congas and bongos. I've seen conga/bongo players shy away from playing the timbales because the challenge that it is. It requires a "special touch" and skill because of the different things you have to be aware of; cascareo and "campaneo" (bell playing) in the right clave, abanicos, doing clave while "cascareo" or campaneo, cymbal playing....etc, etc.

Videos out there specifically for timbale stick speed? Don't know but most timbaleros, and I know some of the top ones here in Puerto Rico, follow the same things as "trap drummers" because are the same fundamentals or base. However, if your concern is about speed with "latin beats or patterns". Recommend you get timbale books with solos, etc, that will give you those common or standard syncopated latin beats and work on your speed on it. Don't forget "the clave"....

Now go for it..... Saludos!

My first timbale teacher was "Uba" Ubaldo Nieto,Machitos timbale player for years. He taught me about counting,reading a bit,styles and approach and practicing with sticks on a drum pad. Using heavy sticks first to build up the strength and then eventually going to lighter sticks. Try practicing with heavier sticks while doing your mommy daddy's, then use lighter sticks and see how much faster you will get. so go heavy , then light, go heavy then light, until your comfortable with the weight of your sticks. Another cool thing would be to get involved with a Drum and Bugle corp, cause it's kinda cool and you will definetly become a better drummer. they practice a lot and it's fun.....a su orden..JC JOHNNY CONGA..

Thank u all.
Those words sure give a push to continue.

pini.