what is the rite note for congas when tuning??

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Re: what is the rite note for congas when tuning??

Postby Ernesto Pediangco » Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:57 am

I also tune my conga to middle C on piano & the tumba to G below middle C. The purpose for this is to be in the mid range where the drums are creating a fundamental voice & role that compliments the rhythm section. It allows for the bongos to be in a higher range to provide the rhythm fabric we call Martillo ~ an 8 th note rhythm ride w/ accentuations & add lib phrasings & soloing functions. When the congas, bongos and the very important hand percussion instruments are layered tastfuly with Maracas, Guiro, Clave, Bell paterns & the Cascara of the timbale shells, this creates the rhythm bed foundation for dynamic layering ,interplay, call & responce, terraced dynamics and even melodic inter play. Many Conga players insist on being louder as if in a competition...but thats not a prefered context for the role of congas. But conga players sometime tune higher & use a quinto as a lead drum and this changes the tuning voice of the overall section & it become less distictive as a team or as a section. The quinto traditionaly is tuned 5 notes above the conga and is why its called QUINTO . It is the solo drum that many bongos are actualy used for in most Latin band context instead of a quinto drum, because of its texture and 2 drum melodic capabilities. All these textures should be balanced as a section and as a section to a band w/ Piano & Bass etc. In any case, congas should be melodic tuned for obvious musical concerns & thats why tuning hard wares were developed for congas & bongos. Modern Timbales are often too large and too loud for a good natural dynamic balance to happen. Modern congas & bongos are now supplied with plastic heads that are not as warm & tonal as traditional skins, so they tend to be brighter and a bit louder if played to be loud. This knocks out a natural balance and is a harsher sound with more high over tones that reverbrate longer as well. Some times the lower tuned tumbas sound like deep tom toms ! Of course...conga tunings are just guide lines for a good starting point. Since music is a living art form, there are no rules to it, only guidlines. Only experience & good taste will determine a good musical blending with other instruments and musicians. I have substtuted large Bata drums for a 3 rd conga ( or 2 nd tumba.) It had a differnt sound sure, but it was still applied w/ musical disipline and good taste. I actualy prefer 2 congas w/ 1 tumba, or 1 conga & 2 tumbas and tune the drums to the voice I desire on a per gig basis. The benifit of 2 congas instead of a quinto is that the heads & shell sizes are same, only the tuning differs but it is a balanced sound. I use older warmer heads on the second conga & the newer brighter head on the lead conga. Its a good combination. I would not even recomend the purchase of a quinto to a musician ! Its the last drum he needs & they are all over the place these days. Just borrow one from a fellow drummer !
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Re: what is the rite note for congas when tuning??

Postby oshkoshrhythm » Tue May 31, 2011 4:04 pm

Hi all,
I play mostly in a funk/rock band and am pondering tuning and drum placement. I have been using the ACG tuning for awhile now and like the way it seems to compliment most songs melodically. I use the quinto for lead drum with tumba to my left and conga to my right, and have begun wondering if I shouldn't tune the conga a 3rd below the quinto or the quinto to E instead of G to maintain 3 note separation between lead drum and next lower one. Alternatively I am considering switching my placement to conga for lead, tumba to the right and quinto on the left. I am not sure I will be happy with the slaps from the conga as compared to the quinto but I am thinking that the melody of the open tones might be better. I intend to experiment when I get some time, but thought there might be some useful opinions out there.

BTW I have been tucking new heads and playing with new drums so my whole set up is up in the air and in flux, this is what has spurred these considerations. Currently I don't really play the Tumba (to my left) very much, only on a couple songs and/or couple places in other songs.
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Re: what is the rite note for congas when tuning??

Postby Jerry Bembe » Tue May 31, 2011 4:54 pm

There are many different methods for tuning intervals. My suggestion for a percussionist with a band is to tune 5-15 cents sharp if you are tuning to a specific note. This way when you play your rhythm does not get lost in the harmony of the overall band. If you tune sharp then it will allow your rhythm to stand apart from the melodic instrumentation.
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Re: what is the rite note for congas when tuning??

Postby oshkoshrhythm » Tue May 31, 2011 9:05 pm

Thanks Jerry, I plan to record myself playing to some recordings of the band in order to experiment "off stage", I will give that a try and see how it sounds.

Maybe I am overthinking the whole tuning thing, but I guess I am wondering if, when I play a tumbao for instance if there should be a certain interval between the two main drums or "if it sounds good, play it".

The more I play around with the tuning of the different drums in my studio now, I am finding that some of them seem to have a very pronounced "sweet spot" as far as tension goes. So, I am also considering if it might not be better to tune each drum to it's apparent "sweet spot" and then tweak them from there to get a good sounding interval. I just hope my ear is good enough so they don't clash with the harmonys on stage.

Speaking of ear - it seems like when I spend too much time trying to tune the drums to a certain note on the keyboard that I start loosing the ability to hear the pitch of the drum. Does anyone else find the pitch gets harder to discern the higher the drum gets tuned? I seem to have more problems with the quinto than others. Am I hallucinating, or is it possible to overwork the ear/brain ability to discern pitch reliably. Has anybody tried to use a tuner (like for a guitar) for this purpose? Any recommendations on brands or types?
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Re: what is the rite note for congas when tuning??

Postby jkd1717 » Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:54 pm

Hi all,

First, let me say that I am very new to playing congas. I have played drum kit for many years and I just started playing congas, bongos, timbales and auxiliary percussion for a rock band (similar sound to the Allman Brothers) in January of this year.

oshkoshrhythm, I am also trying to determine the best setup and tuning. Currently, I use an E, C, G tuning, although I am going to try a higher tuning and try to get more “cut” through the music. I have my quinto in the middle, with the conga to the left and tumba to the right. This setup seems to work for me (so far). With this setup, I mostly use the quinto and tumba for verse and chorus and then all three during the jam sections.

BTW, I play the tumbao in a couple of songs, and I like the way it sounds with the above-mentioned tuning and setup.

Jerry Bembe, thanks for the pointers; I’m going to try that.
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Re: what is the rite note for congas when tuning??

Postby Anonimo » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:49 pm

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Re: what is the rite note for congas when tuning??

Postby Jerry Bembe » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:06 pm

There are many different good ideas here. I suggest to enjoy your drums first before "over thinking" the tuning. It is most important to tune the drums to the tonal range for the drums themselves.

Then the interval between drums in a set is important for a set of drums. Many people tune a forth apart for a pair of congas. ("Here comes the bride" opening is an example of a fourth) (G & C or A & D are often used)

If you have a larger set, by then you should have a feel for this. If not start with one drum and later add a second drum.

Tune and enjoy this gift of drumming.

Peace
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