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Posted: **Sat Apr 15, 2006 3:23 pm**

Here's my set as I played it last night at our Friday night gig. I am blown away by the utility of a five-drum setup! Having all those options really opens up the musical possibilities. I honestly found myself on three or four most of the time...occasionally two or even one, but all five saw plenty of action.

I was surprized at how seamlessly the new notes became usable in the context of our genre of music. I don't pretend to know much about traditional patterns on this many drums, but they do seem to just roll out and onto the extra heads very naturally, and with cool musical impact. I set them up with 11 inch quinto centered, 11 3/4 conga left forward, 12 1/2 tumba right forward, 12 inch tumba right in line with quinto, 10 inch requinto left of quinto...all different open tone pitches using lowest pitch for biggest drum, then up from there in fourths. I put the most resonant drums in front to help the bass tone carry off the stage better...don't know if that was necessary, but the patterns it made possible were awesome (maybe I got lucky there)! Wow! What a cool way to play.

I really respect you guys who have done it for years, and look forward to learning how to do it better. Any videos you can suggest on multiple conga playing are greatly appreciated...I use a "less is more " approach to my percussion, and this is no different for me musically, except for all the new tonal and fill pattern possibilities from the extra instruments.

Because the band has suddenly and unanimously asked the sound guy to bring me up in the mix (surprize to me...I thought I was plenty loud), any suggestions are welcome.

God bless!

-Ron

Edited By bongoron on 1145114898

Posted: **Sat Apr 15, 2006 4:04 pm**

Alafia Abure Bongoron!
Wow! I'm really glad to hear that you are taking your playing to another level, evolving my brother!

I experimented once with five congas, but.........well, I guess I'm just a lazy ol' soul, I went back to three and four when the spirit moves me. A real good video (instructional) is Anga. I say this because it's at a great pace where one can reproduce some of the sounds that he is playing, and he has an accompanying booklet to demonstrate the set up he uses (either for four or five drums at a time).

You can always get Giovanni and "El Negro" video/dvd, he is playing with four and five drums on it also. It's just that Gio. plays with such velocity, it's hard to grasp at times what he is doing. Bless the man, he's great!

here is a site on amazon where you can view the Anga Mania DVD
http://www.amazon.com/gp....=404272

and here is one for Giovanni and El Negro's DVD
http://www.amazon.com/gp....e&n=130

Once again, I'm glad that you are having such a great time on your musical journey!

Many blessings!
Onile!

Edited By onile on 1145117242

Posted: **Sat Apr 15, 2006 4:20 pm**

Thank you, my friend. My job gives me a great deal of free time when nobody is home, so I can really practice alot without disturbing the peace. It's a 12 hour swing shift job, so the night shift gives me large blocks of time when Pam is at work and I am home. Also, there are large blocks of days off to practice with the band and alone. Our band has grown musically by leaps and bound in only about 1 1/2 months. The leader/guitar/lead singer has had this calling for years and it never happened until he moved here. The same with all the other members. We have literally been thrown into each other's paths, and the "click" factor is unbelievable. We know now what all those years of playing (many years of guitar, trumpet and singing for me too), alone and in church bands, was for. Thanks for the video recommendations. I agree about Giovanni...he's so awesome, but I can't figure out what's going on in the blur of hands

. A slower approach will serve me well. Thanks!

God bless!

-Ron

Edited By bongoron on 1145118143

Posted: **Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:16 pm**

Personally, I think 3 is enough to open things musically...you could always use a 4th and 5th to add an extra note here and there, but I honestly find myself playing 3 congas consistently well...however, that's a choice, and I'm happy you're evolving in that sense.

I'd look at giovanni's "virtuoso" DVD/VHS...he shows one, two, and three conga patterns there that you can adapt to 4 and 5 with some creativity.

That's all I can suggest.

Posted: **Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:03 pm**

IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED I CAME ACROSS THE TRANSCRIPTIONS FOR THE ANGAMANIA VIDEO JUST EMAIL ME AND I'LL SEND IT TO YOU. SUAVE

Posted: **Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:58 pm**

Firebrand wrote:Personally, I think 3 is enough to open things musically...you could always use a 4th and 5th to add an extra note here and there, but I honestly find myself playing 3 congas consistently well...

I have to agree, in essence. Our sets are pretty long and having variety really helps, though. Even playing three drum patterns on three different drums can add just enough change to keep it fresh...our genre of music has a tendency to sound the same from song to song, so we really work hard to spice them up and make the set interesting from song to song. Originally, I bought the two new ones just to reduce the amount of hauling on the three drum set. I leave it at the practice studio now, and just haul these two around from church to home, and back. The five drum experiment was really an unknown for me, and I was pretty shocked at the new rhythms and melodies I was able to create...Not worth the extra hauling for a short set, though.

Update on our Friday gig...we are now the standing gig that will rotate with the house band every other Friday! That's really a shot in the arm to get that invitation. Well recieved is quite an understatement, and we really are blessed in this regard.

Thanks for all the inputs!

God bnless!

-Ron

Edited By bongoron on 1145289645

Posted: **Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:25 pm**

Congratulations Abure Bongoron!

That is a great accomplishment, and one that is rewarding!

Many blessings!

Onile!

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Five drum setup