How do you tune your conga / bongo / timbales?

[Victorius]

Halo!
To what pith you tune your drums?

[thomas newton]

I think this question is just too general to get a serious response.

There's lots of info out there, try searching the web for, afro-cuban percussion tuning

Good Luck
Richard

[burke]

Unlike a string its really hard to tune to a specific note - think instead of intervals between your drums.

Once you find the sweet spot for one drum many folks then tune the other drum so the interval is a 4th (first two notes of Here Comes the Bride).

Not a rule though

[burke]

Sorry that last was for conga/tumba
Bongos vary a lot too but an octave is often used
Timbales - haven't a clue

[JConga]

congas bongos and timbales are basically tuned the same...G below middle C to the 4th of C so G C...if u add another conga u can tune that to Bflat..like Patato did....or try "here comes the bride" for tuning...of course for timbs and bongos the 4ths maybe tuned higher but still a forth apart....this has been 'traditional" tuning forever.....Johnny Conga....

[burke]

Hey JC - Thanks for that.

I searched the forum and the web a while back for bongo interval and got the octave from this LP page
http://www.lpmusic.com/Play_Like_A_Pro/ ... ongos.html

I was always a bit leary of this and now will retune

[blackflag]

I play with a 12.5" tumba, a 12" tumba and a 11" conga and tune to "Mary Had A Little Lamb". "MA-RY-HAD" Works for me and I gig like that. Always trying to figure out the bongo tuning though.