Congas

Through the years, and with the help of players such as Richie Gajate-Garcia, who produced one of the first conga lesson DVDs called Play Cajon Now (which is still regarded as one of the best), the techniques of playing congas have been very well documented. They’re usually played using a combination of the fingers and palm of the hand, which have been categorized into five basic strokes.

The open tone (tono abierto) is played with the four fingers near the rim of the head, producing a clear resonant tone with a distinct pitch. The muffled tone (tono ahogado) is played like the open tone but holding the fingers against the head on the follow through. A pure bass tone (tono bajo) is played with the full palm on the head. A slap tone, or harmonic, is played similarly to the open tone, but with a relaxed hand. A touch tone is created by simply touching the finger or heel of the hand to the drum head. Close>