Rumba cajones - what patterns to play on?

[rumbero russo]

Hola hermanos y maestros!
I'm going to make myself rumba cajones, can anyboby give me some tips, is there any secrets?
The most important thing I wanna know about, is what the diferents is between playing rumba on tumbadoras and cajones?
I mean patterns and using conga technic.
Thanks for any help.
Dmitry

[windhorse]

You probably want to start with Yambu.
Slaps are on the corners pretty much straight flat hand without the cupped fingers like a conga.
Tones are towards the center of the bearing edge, and basses are placed in there almost like a djembe.

Bueno Suerte!
Dave

[soungalo]

Is it usual to use cajones in Rumba ? I thought they're only used in flamenco styles ... Can anybody give a name of an artist or an album where the cajones are used like that ?

[windhorse]

go to boogalu.com and have a look at Rumba Tropical.

We are playing more and more with combinations of cajon and conga in our Boulder study groups.

[JohnnyConga]

Boogaloo Productions has a video I have called "cajon espirituales" of 2 Cuban familys that play only this style of "cajon" with voices...it's deep.....I recommend it highly..."JC" Johnny Conga...PS I was really more impressed with the brother playing clave and singing cause his clave pushed the drummers and made it more intense,,just playing his clave......um um um....

[ralph]

The most important thing I wanna know about, is what the diferents is between playing rumba on tumbadoras and cajones?
I mean patterns and using conga technic.

when you play on cajones, the sounds may be more limited so some play the top, and sides, if your playing rumba the tres golpes is pretty much the same as if you were playing on conga, the tumbador as well, except for yambu, they play it differently, depending if they use three cajones and not just two, also cajones are made differently some are the height of congas, some are shorter, some are glued on, some are nailed on, specifically in rumba you would play the upright cajon much like you would play congas, but if your playing guarapachangeo well then, the sky's the limit. also the style of playing cajon is different in palo, makuta etc....

[rumbero russo]

Thanks Ralph!
I meant the upright cajones, they're just the boxes, aren't they? Without any strings like flamenco cajones, or something else? I know another cajone to sit on playing palito on its sides with spoons, does it have more uses? And, what about the quinto, wich one is the lead for solo? It seams that the biggest one...
To many questions...
All the best

[SVSRUMBERO]

Wildhorse, with who, and where do you study in Boulder? I am interested in continuing my studies in batarumba and rumbacajon. Could you email me at [email]s_victor99@yahoo.com.[/email] Thanks.

[windhorse]

Thanks Ralph!
I meant the upright cajones, they're just the boxes, aren't they? Without any strings like flamenco cajones, or something else? I know another cajone to sit on playing palito on its sides with spoons, does it have more uses? And, what about the quinto, wich one is the lead for solo? It seams that the biggest one...
To many questions...
All the best

Yeah, they don't use the strings like the flamenco. The quinto sometimes has loose screws that rattle sort of like the things they sometimes add to djembes,, or a snare drum.
The quinto is generally the smallest one.

[windhorse]

Wildhorse, with who, and where do you study in Boulder? I am interested in continuing my studies in batarumba and rumbacajon. Could you email me at

I'm e-mailing you... But you should never put your address out there like that!
You'll get innundated with spam mail.
They have spiders - or whatever they call them, that hunt for @ signs. That's the easiest way for the evil spammers to find you.. Whenever you put it out there, just say "at" and leave a space between it and the rest.. Even then it's not advisable.

Just posting this in case it helps someone else..

[ralph]

I know another cajone to sit on playing palito on its sides with spoons, does it have more uses? And, what about the quinto, wich one is the lead for solo? It seams that the biggest one...

the large cajon or caja, that you sit on, would generally be the one with the deepest sound depending on how big it is, some use to play the bombo note for yambu, guaguanco, etc...in guarapachanguero the cajon could be used in combination with a spoon or stick...a la Pancho Quinto, Yoruba Andabo...
as windhorse said the smaller cajon is usually used to quintear, and most leave the top part loose as to facilitate easier slaps, and shorter tones....

[rumbero russo]

Everyone is so kindly giving me this information, thanks!
I have more questions about rumba drumming, then answers...
Ralph, what is GUARAPACHANGUERO and GUARAPACHANGA? I lean a lot of new therms from this forum
All the best!

[rumbero russo]

I've found a DVD "Rumbambeo" to book it, does anybody seen it? You think it helps to learn about rumba especialy about cajones? Is it the good one or you know some else?
All the best!

[ralph]

Ralph, what is GUARAPACHANGUERO and GUARAPACHANGA? I lean a lot of new therms from this forum
All the best!

Well guarapachanguero is like a new style of playing rumba...for instance in you typical guaguanco habanero you have the basic parts, guagua, clave, tumbador, the tres golpe, and quinto...well in guarapachanguero the guagua, clave, tres golpe and quinto, the difference is that you will not hear tumbador in usual fashion, sometimes they may only hit the bombo note on the cajon, or play around the tres golpes, but never really in the same place...the tumbador player may play a variation of guagua with one hand, and play cajon and tumba or bata to the side with the other, also the tumbador may employ some bata rhythms/parts, palo parts/rhythms etc...as far and guarapachanga is concerned never heard of it, maybe someone meant guarapachanguero

don't even think about it, Rumbambeo is a must...



Edited By ralph on 1128128299

[JohnnyConga]

Isn't anybody reading these???...I offered up "Cajon Espirituales" on Boogaloo Productions...Rumbambeo doesn't teach u cajon playing it shows a local Havana group playing Guarapachangeo....as a matter of Fact I don't think there is a "Learning" video on Cajon.....Whose Next!.....Alex Acuna on his video shows some cajon playing and style....."JC" Johnny Conga....