Got a set of congas

[livewire80]

Hi all, for my birthday today I got a set of 'eternity' congas! I am so excited about my new toy. Any suggestion from my fellow drum chatters on using my new toy? I was thinking of applying some rudiments to them which sound pretty good. What about mounting them to the set? any suggestions on that?

[pastor_bob]

First all, happy birthday, LW! Congrats on the cool birthday present!

Second, you're going to have to post a pic of the congas (that way, we can ooh, and ah properly ). I tried looking up the Eternity line, and I didn't find anything. Who makes them?

Thirdly, as to the use of your new toys, use of rudiments, and mounting suggestions . . . . . . . . . . . I got nothin'. Sorry!

Have fun figuring everything out, LW!

[livewire80]

Thanks for your birthday well wishes PB! This proves how amateur I am with these things, they are actually Bongos (sorry BongoBro and not Congas Ok, here a link to them on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BRAND-NEW-ETE...QQcmdZViewItem

[pastor_bob]

Those look pretty cool, LW! When I was a kid (a couple of years ago), my folks got me a set of bongos for my birthday (after I had played with a cousin's congas). I had a great time with those bongos. I hope you have as much fun, and more! Again, happy birthday!

[bongobro]

Hi all, for my birthday today I got a set of 'eternity' congas! I am so excited about my new toy. Any suggestion from my fellow drum chatters on using my new toy? I was thinking of applying some rudiments to them which sound pretty good. What about mounting them to the set? any suggestions on that?

Hey, livewire! congrats on your new toy (and don't feel bad, mate--you'd be amazed how many people confuse my congas with my bongos, even when I'm playin' them both)!

Actually, applying the rudiments is a good place to start, since they apply to bongos and congas as much as they do to snares and toms.

If you have access to a drum shop near you, man, there are several good bongo books available. Mel Bay has a book titled "Fun with Bongos" that is a good overview of the basics. There is an older book from Ted Reed called "Fundamentals of Bongos and Congas" (originally published in 1961) which was the first bongo book I used...also a good starter book. You may also find some info through drumbum, of course!

But try playing them to your favorite tunes, too...

Check the Percussion section, too, since we have a thread up about mounting hand drums to a drum kit...

Again, congrats--and big fives to another bongo brother!

[funkymcstain]

there are lots of different sounds available with a pair of bongos. start by figuring out what they are. such as differences in sound between a cupped hand and a flat palm, and slaping the rim for higher notes and such. once you are comfy with the sounds you can apply the rudiments to different types of strokes.

thats what i do anyway.

[bongobro]

to expand on funky's suggestion, use the heel of your left hand (or the base of your left thumb) to hold down and stretch the head of the smaller drum for a higher-pitched "pop" or crack" when you slap it with the right...

[livewire80]

Thanks for the suggestions and well wishes guys, very much appreciated. This may sound like a silly question but can I use my sticks on them or can I damage them? I have noticed the sticks give get a nice sound out of them too

[bongobro]

Personally, I wouldn't use sticks on bongos or congas. If you hit a bongo head or conga head with a stick with the force you'd use on a snare or tom head, the chances are good you'll break the the head or at least seriously weaken the head. If I were to use something other than my hands, I would use soft-headed mallets (like the ones you use on vibes or, as some drummers do, on cymbals or floor toms)...

Experiment with it a bit, mate, and see what works best...