Besides rhythm, do you need musical ability...

[Stever]

to play percussion? What I mean by this, is do you really need to understand music theory, chord structures, scales and such? Or is really good rhythm enough to carry you through? Also, if you were going to get only one drum to start, should it be a Conga or Tumba, or does it matter? Thanks



Edited By Stever on 1074785139

[Johnny Conga]

Hi Stever...it wouldn't hurt to have a basic understanding of music(reading,notation). It also helps to have a good "ear" for rhythms and music. Your first drum would be the Conga drum or "middle" drum. you may also want to study another instrument like trumpet-sax,etc...Like Jerry Gonzales for example. Or myself, I took up the vibraphone about 5 years ago and now play them in my band. Too many conga players today and you have to set yourself apart from the others, so I took up a melodic instrument-the vibes. ....At your Service... JC JOHNNY CONGA.... :;):

[Stever]

JC,

I've been playing guitar on and off for 15 years. I do have some musicical theory and understanding, but I'm not good at jamming on the guitar with others, because of not fully understanding the fretboard and where to go on the fly so to speak. I'm much better at playing songs that I have learned, but I'm not really that good frankly (my wife disagrees). I do have a really good sense of rhythm. I'm learning the sax right now, but I had a chance to play some congas at the NAMM show, and I felt like I really had a knack for it. I think I'm going to buy a Moperc Conga, and give it a whirl. Thanks for your feedback

[billybenbob]

Hey Stever
Go for it and have fun!
I started on congas about a month ago and I'm having the greatest time with it.
I'm at about the same level as you on guitar. I'm going to give the theory and fretboard knowledge one more crack at it.

[whammy]

If you want to know where to go on the "fly" on guitar, I'd start off learning your minor and major pentatonic scales up and down the neck:

<span style='font-family:Courier New'>E minor/G major pentatonic scale

e O|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|
B O|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--©|
G O|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|
D O|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|
A O|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|
E O|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|
5 7 9 12

A minor/C major pentatonic scale

e O|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--©|
B X|--©|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|
G O|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|
D O|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|
A O|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|
E O|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--©|
5 7 9 12</span>


As you can see, really the pattern is the same, it just changes location depending upon what key you are in. So once you know this basic pattern you can move on to adding the "passing" notes that create the true minor and major scales, as a next step.





Edited By whammy on 1074811001

[whammy]

P.S. If you look below, I've modified the A Minor Pentatonic diagram to highlight what is commonly called "The Box" in guitar lingo.

This is where people usually start learning blues/rock licks and bends in that particular key. You'll also notice that it is the same place as an A Minor chord (what a surprise!):

<span style='font-family:Courier New'>A minor/C major pentatonic scale

e O|---|---|--O|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--O|---|--O|
B X|--O|---|--O|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--O|---|---|
G O|---|--O|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|--O|---|---|--O|
D O|---|--O|---|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--O|---|--O|
A O|---|---|--O|---|--©|---|--©|---|---|--O|---|--O|
E O|---|---|--O|---|--©|---|---|--©|---|--O|---|--O|
5 7 9 12</span>





Edited By whammy on 1074811199

[Johnny Conga]

I LOVE IT --VERSATILITY and a GREAT CLASS GUYS...THANKS......JC JOHNNY CONGA :;):

[whammy]

This is a great forum.

By the way, I got some Bongos today, to go with my Tumbadoras. I'm stoked!!!

[Raymond]

You do not need any formal education to get started in percussion. All you have to have, at the beginning, is a sense of rhythm and of course, learn the correct techniques on the big three, conga, bongo and timbal. Some pick it up by watchin others and immitating and some get a teacher to tell them how to play percussion. Depending on the teacher, he will give you some theory to go along with your training in learning to play the instruments. (Specially, notation so you could go home and do exercises, rudiments, etc, etc).

One thing you need to have a sense of and is very important to be able to play afro-caribbean music is the famous "clave". (Discussed all over the forum). Without it, it will be difficult to play salsa, latin jazz, etc.

You will be amazed of people who play for the fun and have no formal training in music theory. Nevertheless, they do fine (but could be limited in certain circumstances). Is nice to get, and eventually if you get serious and want to understand, some training so you know what is going and it will help you be a better musician. In my case, I eventually took clases on music notation/reading for percussion because it helps a lot to understand and in case they throw at you sheets of music.

If you play long enough with groups and pay attention, regardless if you take formal training or not, you will pick up lots of things that some people learn formally. However, it is never a bad thing to get serious and get formal about it...

Saludos!

[Stever]

Whammy,

Thanks for the info. I do know the major and minors. I probably have a lot more music theory than I let on, but I still don't feel like a player. It seems to me that percussion requires one to rely more on rhythm and feel than other instruments - that's what I'm hoping for anyway.

[Johnny Conga]

Yo Stever here is a concept for you. I believe drumming goes "hand and foot". By that I mean I was taught that drumming is also for dancers. I had a student that couldn't
chew and walk at the same time. So when he would play a tumbao he was always out of sync with the time. I recommended he take up Salsa/Mambo dancing. He did and his playing improved 100%, once he understood what timing and the feel of the music is all about while dancing through it and hearing the drum move him across the floor. No wI don't know if you want to go that deep to achieve a "feel" for the music but it is a way. Most good conga drummers I know can dance,too...Tito Puente started out as a "dancer" before becoming a musician......At your Service... JC JOHNNY CONGA.... :;):

[billybenbob]

Hi Stever,
Have you ever checked outGuitar noise?
It's my favorite guitar site as it has stuff for all skill levels and the forum is great.
After 3 lessons and beating my hands silly, I'm hitting my slaps almost 1/3 of the time! I've been mainly focussing on the tumboa.
I'm sure enjoying this.

[whammy]

I'm enjoying it too! I played the bongos (since they were easier and quicker to transport) at a local "open mic" jam last night, and I feel like I really do have a good feel for these things.

I was improvising and making up rhythms based mostly on Tumbao, Calypso, and Conga... what fun!!! It definitely made the acoustic music sound fuller and funkier. I'm totally hooked now.

P.S. That's a good tip JC... I am definitely not the Tumbador you are, but hey, I can keep a groove... and you really have to be dancing to do that anyway!!!



Edited By whammy on 1074914212

[muddy323]

Playing a bass guitar, have enhanced my music theroy on congas...I have played congas since the 1970's. Learning to read music (phrases,measures,beats) for a bass guitar have made it easier to understand where the music is going and how the conga drum would apply. If you learned to read music of another instrument. It could only help you.
TIP: most conga players, make good bass players.

[Johnny Conga]

Here is some music rhythm theory... The role of the conga is too "add" to the bass figure or "tumbao". It literally plays around the bass line. So in other words your drums are like 2 or 3 "added" bass strings. When I first learned to play latin music, Joe Panama, Gil Suarez, were my first 2 bandleaders that played piano. One they told me to sit close to or sometimes in between the piano and the bass player, those days there weren't any mic's for everybody, just the singer. So we had to be tight together, and close. They told me to listen to the bass and as I was told to "lock and rock" or "marcha" with the tumbao. It is the same way for playing R&B and other styles, sometimes you actually play the bass line on congas. I teach a Mongo pattern I call "kun kun kun" which is the first 3 notes on the bass for "masacote", Mongo opens his tumbao with cung cung cung- right left right on his congas. Which is part of his pattern bass line in his tumbao. Check it out! So keep in mind that when your playing "lock in" with the bass figure and of course the other drummers/percussionists. Remember "less IS more".....try it you':ll like it!....At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA..... :;):