Editing Conga

{{Short description|Cuban drum}}
{{About||the music genre and ensemble|Conga (music)||Conga (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Tres golpes|breakfast dish|Mangú}}
{{Infobox instrument
| name           = Conga
| names          = Tumbadora
| image          = File:Collectie Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen TM-6335-1a Enkelvellige tonvormige buistrom, onderdeel van een set Cuba.jpg
| image_capt     = [[Latin Percussion]] conga drum exhibited at the [[Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen|National Museum of World Cultures]] in [[Amsterdam]]
| background     = percussion
| classification = Percussion
| hornbostel_sachs = 211.221.1
| hornbostel_sachs_desc = [[Directly struck membranophones]] in which the end without a membrane is open
| developed      = Late 19th century or early 20th century in Cuba
| related        = [[Yuka (music)|Yuka]], [[Makuta (drum)|makuta]], bembé
}}

The '''conga''', also known as  '''tumbadora''', is a tall, narrow, single-headed [[drum]] from Cuba. Congas are [[stave (wood)|staved]] like [[barrel]]s and classified into three types: [[quinto (drum)|quinto]] (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). Congas were originally used in Afro-Cuban music genres such as [[Conga (music)|conga]] (hence their name) and [[Cuban rumba|rumba]], where each drummer would play a single drum. Following numerous innovations in conga drumming and construction during the mid-20th century, as well as its internationalization, it became increasingly common for drummers to play two or three drums. Congas have become a popular instrument in many forms of [[Music of Latin America|Latin music]] such as [[son cubano|son]] (when played by [[Conjunto#Cuban conjunto|conjunto]]s), [[descarga]], [[Afro-Cuban jazz]], [[salsa music|salsa]], [[songo music|songo]], [[merengue music|merengue]] and [[Latin rock]].

Although the exact origins of the conga drum are unknown, researchers agree that it was developed by [[Afro-Cubans|Cuban people of African descent]] during the late 19th century or early 20th century.<ref name="NW">{{cite journal | last = Warden | first = Nolan | title = A History of the Conga Drum | journal = Percussive Notes | year = 2005 | volume = 43 | issue = 1 | pages = 8–15 | url = http://www.nolanwarden.com/Conga_Drum_History(Warden).pdf}}</ref> Its direct ancestors are thought to be the [[yuka (music)|yuka]] and [[makuta (drum)|makuta]] (of [[Bantu people|Bantu]] origin) and the bembé drums (of [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] origin).<ref name="NW" /> In Cuba and Latin America, congas are primarily played as [[hand drums]]. In [[Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidadian]] [[calypso music|calypso]] and [[soca music|soca]], congas are sometimes struck with [[mallets]], while in the Congos, they are often struck with one hand and one mallet.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kalani |title=All About Congas |date=2003 |publisher=Alfred Music Publishing |isbn=978-0-7390-3349-4 |page=17 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NFbgOAsW6AwC&pg=PA17 |language=en}}</ref>

==Characteristics==
[[File:Conga's 01.jpg|thumb|220px|A pair of congas (front) with a pair of bongos (back) mounted on top. The combination of congas and bongos was pioneered by Cándido Camero in New York City.<ref name="WBGO" />]]

Most modern congas have a staved wooden or fiberglass shell and a screw-tensioned drumhead. Since the 1950s, congas are usually played in sets of two to four, except for traditional [[Cuban rumba|rumba]] and [[conga (music)|conga]], in which each drummer plays one conga. The drums are played with the fingers and palms of the hands. Typical congas stand approximately {{convert|75|cm}} from the bottom of the shell to the head. The drums may be played while seated. Alternatively, the drums may be mounted on a rack or stand to permit the player to play while standing. While they originated in Cuba, their incorporation into the popular and folk music of other countries has resulted in diversification of terminology for the instruments and the players. In Cuba, ''congas'' are called ''tumbadoras''.

Conga players are called ''congueros'', while ''rumberos'' refers to those who dance following the path of the players. The term "conga" was popularized in the 1930s, when [[Music of Latin America|Latin music]] swept the United States. [[Son music|Cuban son]] and [[New York City|New York]] [[jazz]] fused together to create what was then termed [[Mambo (music)|mambo]], but later became known as [[Salsa music|salsa]]. In that same period, the popularity of the [[conga line]] helped to spread this new term. [[Desi Arnaz]] also played a role in the popularization of conga drums. However, the drum he played (which everyone called a conga drum at the time) was similar to the type of drum known as ''bokú'' used in his hometown, Santiago de Cuba. The word ''conga'' came from the rhythm ''la conga'' used during ''carnaval'' (carnival) in Cuba. The drums used in carnaval could have been referred to as ''tambores de conga'' since they played the rhythm ''la conga'', and thus translated into English as ''conga drums''.

==Types of drum==
Conga drums are classified according to their size, which correlates to their pitch: larger drumheads have a lower pitch and vice versa. Originally, drums were tuned by adjusting knots and tension ropes on the drumhead, or, more commonly, where the drum heads were tacked or nailed to the top of the shell, by careful heating of the head. Modern congas, developed in the early 1950s, use a screw-and-lug tension head system, which makes them easier to tune (or detune). This modern type of tension system was pioneered in Cuba by [[Carlos "Patato" Valdés]] and in the United States by [[Cándido Camero]].<ref name="WBGO">{{cite web |last1=Sanabria |first1=Bobby |title=Remembering Candido Camero, Percussionist and Afro-Cuban Pioneer, Who Has Died at 99 |url=https://www.wbgo.org/post/remembering-candido-camero-percussionist-and-afro-cuban-pioneer-who-has-died-99 |website=[[WBGO]] |access-date=10 November 2020 |language=en |date=7 November 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108024553/https://www.wbgo.org/post/remembering-candido-camero-percussionist-and-afro-cuban-pioneer-who-has-died-99 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:LP Classic Congas (6322121867).jpg|thumb|New LP Classic Congas]]
Historically, terminology for the drums varies between genres and countries. In ensembles that traditionally employ a large number of drums, such as [[conga (music)|comparsas]] and [[Cuban rumba|rumba]] groups, a detailed naming system is used, which has been taken up by major conga manufacturers. The drums are listed from largest to smallest diameter (drumhead sizes vary considerably by manufacturer, model, and style):

* The ''supertumba'' or ''rebajador'' can be as large as {{convert|14|in|cm}}.
* The ''tumba'' or ''salidor'' is typically {{convert|12|to|12+1/2|in|cm}}.
* The ''conga'' or ''tres dos''  is typically {{convert|11+1/2|to|12|in|cm}}.
* The ''quinto'' is typically around {{convert|11|in|cm}}.
* The ''requinto'' can be smaller than {{convert|10|in|cm}}.
* The ''ricardo'' can be as small as {{convert|9|in|cm}}. Since this drum is typically played while hanging from a shoulder strap, it is considerably shorter and narrower than a traditional conga.

In ''conjuntos'' that play [[son cubano]], as well as in [[Charanga (Cuba)|charangas]] and other ensembles where one or two congas were introduced to complement other rhythmic instruments, the drums are named like the bongos: ''macho'' (male) and ''hembra'' (female), for the higher and lower-pitched drums, respectively; an additional drum would be called ''tercera'' (third).<ref name="Changuito" /> These correspond to the ''tumba'' and ''conga'' in rumba ensembles. When the ''quinto'' is played by ''conjuntos'' it retains its name.<ref name="Changuito" />

==Tuning==
{{more citations needed|date=April 2015}}
Congas, being percussive instruments, do not have to be [[Musical tuning|tuned]] to any particular note in purely percussive settings. However, when playing with [[Harmony|harmonic]] instruments, they may be tuned to specific notes. Congas are often tuned using the open tone. In general, the particular note will depend on the make, model, and size of the conga drum. The drum should be tuned so that the bass tone resonates, the open tone rings, and the slap pierces through the musical mix. If the tuning is too loose, the bass and slap tones will sound "flabby"; too tight, and the drums will sound unnatural and "pinched". With a single drum, it is easy to tighten the drum until it makes a pleasing sound and then tighten a little more to reach a uniform desired pitch. It is very important to ensure that tuning is uniform around the drumhead, which can be checked by placing one finger pad in the center of the head and tapping the head near the edge above each lug location to detect any change, adjusting as necessary. Uniform tightness will help "let the drum speak".

Another important consideration is that head tension can greatly impact the ease or unease of the player, and generally a looser drumhead can lead to hand injury more than a tighter one, because a looser drumhead has less rebound and more muffling effect (hence potentially bruising joints and bones under spirited playing). Also, producing a crisp slap tone is nearly impossible on a loose head. During tuning it is suggested to "let the drum speak" and to conform tuning reasonably closely to the natural resonance (pitch) that the cavity of the drum interior presents. This resonance can be heard by singing or playing loud notes near the drum opening (this is true of tuning any drum) and noticing which pitch decays slowest - that will either be the fundamental (resonant) frequency or one of its simple overtones.

When two or more drums are used, there is the potential for more variation of which notes are chosen; however, tuning between or during compositions is rare in live performance. With only two drums, it is common to find them tuned a [[perfect fourth]] apart (the interval between the first two notes of "[[Bridal Chorus|Here Comes the Bride]]") as is the tradition in western classical music for the [[timpani]]. Having three drums (typically the ''tumba'', ''conga'', and ''quinto'') invites experimentation and individual customization. Some ''congueros'' like using the [[interval (music)|interval]]s of a [[major chord]] (e.g. F, A, C). Some players use the [[second inversion]] of a major chord (e.g. G, C, E); and some prefer a [[major second]] between the ''quinto'' and ''conga'', with a perfect 4th descending to the ''tumba''. Raul Rekow of Santana often plays five conga drums and tunes them to the opening phrase of a Latin tune.

==Playing techniques==
[[File:Eliel-lazo DSC04968.jpg|thumb|right|Playing three congas; one microphone is for the vocals and the other for the congas.]]

===Strokes===
====Strokes with one hand====
* 1. ''Tono abierto''. Open tone.
* 2. ''Tono ahogado (apagado)''. Muffled tone.
* 3. ''Tono seco abierto''. Open slap.
* 4. ''Tono seco tapado''. Pressed slap.
* 5. ''Tono seco cerrado''. Closed slap.
* 6. ''Tono bajo de palma''. Bass tone.
* 7. ''Tono de talón de mano''. Heel tone.
* 8. ''Toque de punta de mano''. Tip tone.
* 9. ''Tono de uñas''. Fingernails tone.
* 10. ''Tono deslizado''. Glissando tone.

====Basic strokes====
There are four basic strokes in conga drumming:<ref name="Changuito">Quintana, Changuito & Hidalgo, Giovanni (1997).''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVM7nv4AtLA Evolution of the tumbadoras]''. Warner Bros Publications. VH0281.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Gary D. |title=Teaching Percussion |date=2019 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-337-67222-1 |page=269 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AhBEDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA269 |language=en}}</ref>
*Open tone (''tono abierto''): played with the four fingers near the rim of the [[head]], producing a clear resonant sound with a higher pitch than muffled and bass tones.<ref name="Evans" />
*Muffled, muted, closed of flesh tone (''tono ahogado'' or ''apagado'') or simply "muff": like the open tone, it is made by striking the drum with the four fingers, but holding the fingers against the head to muffle the tone. It can also be played with a cupped hand or the heel of the hand.
*Bass tone (''tono bajo''): played with the full palm, in a slightly cupped position, somewhat off center on the head. It produces a low muted sound.
*Slap tone (''tono seco'' or ''tapado''): the most difficult technique, producing a loud clear "popping" sound.<ref name="Evans">{{cite book |last1=Evans |first1=Bob |title=Authentic Conga Rhythms |date=1966 |publisher=Alfred Music |isbn=978-1-4574-4593-4 |pages=6–7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nZqp6pSjZboC&pg=PA6 |language=en}}</ref> The muted or pressed slap tone (''toque tapado normal'') involves playing an open tone while the other hand rests on the drumhead, which produces a higher pitch. There are open (''tono tapado abierto'') and half-open (''tono tapado semi-abierto'') variants, in which the playing hand briefly rests on the edge of the drumhead after the stroke, followed by another stroke with the other hand. When played at fast and short intervals, this is called ''floreo'', which is often used to instill emotion in the dancers.

Other strokes can be used to enhance the timbral palette of the instrument. They are not used by all drummers, but have become the hallmark of ''congeros'' such as [[Tata Güines]].
*Touch or toe tone (''toque de punta''): as implied by the name, this tone is produced by just touching the fingers or heel of the palm to the drum head. It is possible to alternate a touch of the palm with a touch of the fingers in a maneuver called heel-toe (manoteo), which can be used to produce the conga equivalent of drumrolls.
*Nails stroke (''toque de uñas''): played with the tip of the nails, usually finger by finger in quick succession, starting with the pinky.

====Glissando and pitch bending====
The ''deslizado'', ''moose call'' or ''[[glissando]]'' is done by rubbing the third finger, supported by the thumb, across the head of the drum. The finger is sometimes moistened with saliva or sweat, and sometimes a little coat of beeswax is put on the surface of the conga head to help make the sound.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ndBcvNX-BU| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/2ndBcvNX-BU| archive-date=2021-11-14 | url-status=live|title=How I do the Moose Call on the Conga Drums - Glissando Lesson|access-date=20 April 2021|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0lqCmpd1PM| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827143513/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0lqCmpd1PM| archive-date=2012-08-27 | url-status=dead|title=Conga Lesson - How to do a Moose Call|access-date=20 April 2021|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> The moose call is also done on the [[bongos]].

To [[pitch bend|bend the pitch]] of the congas, a ''conguero'' sometimes uses his elbow to shift around on and apply pressure to different parts of the head; this causes the note to change. This is not a traditional stroke, but it is common in modern salsa and rumba.

==Rhythms==
{{more citations needed|date=April 2015}}

===Guaguancó===
Guaguancó uses three congas. The smallest conga is the lead drum known as quinto. The following nine-measure quinto excerpt is from the guaguancó “La polémica” by [[Los Muñequitos de Matanzas]] (1988).<ref>“La polémica” (1:57), ''Rumba Caliente'' (Los Muñequitos de Matanzas) Qubadisc CD 9005 (1977, 1988).</ref> This passage moves between the main modes of playing (A, B, C). The A section is the basic ''lock'' or ''ride'', as it is known in North America. It spans one clave (measure). An alternate phrase (B) is also one measure in length. [[Cross-beat]]s, the basis of the third section (C), contradict the meter. By alternating between the lock and the cross, the quinto creates larger rhythmic phrases that expand and contract over several clave cycles. Los Muñequintos quintero Jesús Alfonso (1949–2009) described this phenomenon as a man getting “drunk at a party, going outside for a while, and then coming back inside.”<ref>Peñalosa, David (2011: 86). Alfonso quoted by Peñalosa. ''Rumba Quinto''. Redway, CA: Bembe Books. {{ISBN|1-4537-1313-1}}</ref>

[[File:Rumba quinto modes.jpg|thumb|center|450px|All modes of quinto in context. Quinto excerpt from “La polémica” by Los Muñequitos de Matanzas (1988).]]

===Marcha (tumbao)===
====Clave-neutral====
The basic [[son montuno]] conga pattern is called ''marcha'', or [[tumbao]]. The conga was first used in bands during the late 1930s, and became a staple of mambo bands of the 1940s. The primary strokes are sounded with open tones, on the last offbeats (2&, 2a) of a two-beat cycle. The fundamental accent—2& is referred to by some musicians as ''ponche''.<ref>Mauleón, Rebeca (1993: 63). ''Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Ensemble''. Petaluma, California: Sher Music. {{ISBN|0-9614701-9-4}}.</ref>

<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
1 e & a 2 e & a Count
H T S T H T O O Conga
L L R L L L R R Hand Used

Key:
  L: Left hand
  R: Right hand
  H: Heel of hand
  T: Tip of hand
  S: Slap
  O: Open Tone
</syntaxhighlight>

====Clave-aligned====
The basic tumbao sounds slaps (triangle noteheads) and open tones (regular noteheads) on the "and" offbeats.<ref>Sometimes clave is written in two measures of 4/4 and the open tone of the conga drum are referred to as the last beat of the measure (see Mauleón 1993 p. 63)</ref> There are many variations on the basic tumbao. For example, a very common variant sounds a single open tone with the third stroke of clave (ponche), and two tones preceding the three-side of clave. The specific alignment between clave and this tumbao is critical.

[[File:Conga tumbao.jpg|thumb|center|380px|Top: clave. Bottom: basic conga tumbao on one drum. S: slap, O: open tone, h: palm heel, t: finger tips.]]

Another common variant uses two drums and sounds ''bombo'' (1a) on the tumba (3-side of the [[clave (rhythm)|clave]]).<ref>Mauleón (1993: 64).</ref> For example:

<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
1 . & . 2 . & . 3 . & . 4 . & . Count
X     X     X       X   X       Son Clave
X     X       X     X   X       Rumba Clave 
H T S     T O O H T S T H T O O Conga
      O O                       Tumba
L L R R R L R R L L R L L L R R Hand Used

or

1 . & . 2 . & . 3 . & . 4 . & . Count
X     X     X       X   X       Son Clave
X     X       X     X   X       Rumba Clave 
H T S   H T O O H T S   H T O O Conga
      O               0         Tumba
L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R Hand Used

</syntaxhighlight>

===Bolero===
There is also the [[bolero]] rhythm that is used for ballads.<ref>Evans (1966) p. 23.</ref> The conga part is similar to the marcha.

===Songo===
Beginning in the late 1960s, band conga players began incorporating elements from folkloric rhythms, especially rumba. [[Changuito]] and Raúl "el Yulo" Cárdenas of [[Los Van Van]] pioneered this approach of the [[songo music|songo]] era.

<blockquote>This relationship between the drums is derived from the style known as [[Cuban rumba|rumba]]. The feeling of the high drum part is like the quinto in rumba, constantly punctuating, coloring, and accenting, but not soloing until the appropriate moment (Santos 1985).<ref>Santos, John (1985). "Songo," ''Modern Drummer Magazine''. December p. 44.</ref></blockquote>

[[File:Songo congas.jpg|center|375px|thumb|Basic form of songo tumbadoras part. Triangle notehead: high-pitched drum slap; regular noteheads: high and low drum open tones.]]

In several songo arrangements, the tumbadora ('conga') part sounds the typical [[tumbao]] on the low-pitched drum, while replicating the [[quinto (drum)|quinto]] (lead drum) of [[guaguancó]] on the high-pitched drum. The quinto-like phrases can continually change, but they are based upon a specific counter-[[clave rhythm|clave]] motif.<ref>Peñalosa, David (2010) p. 142-144. Redway, CA: Bembe Books. {{ISBN|1-4537-1313-1}}</ref> [See: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGQu6rLQah0 "Songo Patterns on Congas" (Changuito).]

===Timba===
Tomás Cruz developed several adaptations of folkloric rhythms when working in [[Paulito FG]]'s [[timba]] band of the 1990s. Cruz's creations offered clever counterpoints to the bass and chorus. Many of his marchas span two or even four claves in duration, something very rarely done previously.<ref>Cruz, Tomás, with Kevin Moore (2004: 25) ''The Tomás Cruz Conga Method''  v. 3. Pacific, MO: Mel Bay.</ref> He also made more use of muted tones in his tumbaos, all the while advancing the development of . The example on the right is one of Cruz's ''inventos'' ('musical inventions'), a band adaptation of the Congolese-based Afro-Cuban folkloric rhythm ''makuta''. He played the pattern on three congas on the Paulito song "Llamada anónima." [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMsZtCFKsFQ Listen: "Llamada Anónima" by Paulito F.G. ]

===Other genres===
The conga repertoire includes many other rhythms found in genres such as [[danzón]], [[mambo (music)|mambo]] and [[cha-cha-cha (music)|cha-cha-cha]], as well as foreign styles that have adopted Afro-Cuban percussion such as Jamaican [[reggae]], Brazilian [[samba]] and [[bossa nova]], and American [[soul music|soul]], [[funk]], [[Latin jazz]] and [[Latin rock]]. In the 1960s, the conga became a prominent instrument in Haitian popular music styles such as [[Compas|konpa]], [[Haitian rock|yeye]] and [[Mini-jazz|mini-djaz]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Allen |first1=Ray |last2=Wilcken |first2=Lois |title=Island Sounds in the Global City: Caribbean Popular Music and Identity in New York |date=1998 |publisher=New York Folklore Society |isbn=978-0-9661472-0-9 |page=140 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=60oUAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA140 |language=en}}</ref>

Conjuntos and orchestras playing Colombian dance music have incorporated [[cumbia]] rhythms, traditionally played on tambores known as alegre and llamador, to the conga drums. The standard Colombian cumbia rhythm is simple and played slowly; it goes 1-2-2-1, also heard as 1-2-1-2. In the Dominican Republic, the fast [[Merengue music|merengue]] rhythm, which goes 1 2-1-2, can be played on the conga. It can also be heard as 1-2-1-2 1-2-1-2-1-2. Essentially, it is the rhythm of the [[Tambora (Dominican drum)|tambora]] applied to conga. In [[merengue típico]] (or ''cibaeño''), the rhythm is usually more complex and less standardized; it can range from simply hitting the conga on a fourth beat to playing full patterns that mark the time.

==See also==
{{Portal|Music}}
* [[Bongo drum|Bongo]]
* [[List of conga players]]
* [[Ngoma drums]]
* [[Timbales]]
* [[Tumbao]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

== General bibliography ==
* Cruz, Tomás, with Kevin Moore (2004). ''The Tomás Cruz Conga Method v. 3''. Pacific, MO: Mel Bay.
* {{cite book
 | last = Dworsky
 | first = Alan
 |author2=Betty Sansby
 | year = 1995
 | title = Conga Drumming: A Beginner's Guide to Playing with Time
 | publisher = Dancing Hands
 | isbn = 0-9638801-0-1
}}
* Mauleón, Rebeca (1993). ''Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Ensemble''. Petaluma, California: Sher Music. {{ISBN|0-9614701-9-4}}.
* Peñalosa, David (2011). ''Rumba Quinto''. Redway, CA: Bembe Books. {{ISBN|1-4537-1313-1}}
* {{cite book
 | last = Sanchez
 | first = Poncho
 | author2 = Chuck Silverman
 | year = 2002
 | title = Poncho Sanchez' Conga Cookbook
 | publisher = Cherry Lane Music
 | isbn = 1-57560-363-2
 | url-access = registration
 | url = https://archive.org/details/ponchosanchezcon0000sanc
 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Congas}}
* [http://www.drumdojo.com/learning/congaintro1.htm Introduction to the Conga Drum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206195751/http://www.drumdojo.com/learning/congaintro1.htm |date=2008-02-06 }} at the Drum Dojo
* Plans to [http://www.danmahony.com/conga.htm build your own conga drum].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131101174005/http://www.percussionconga.com/percussion-conga-anatomy Percussion Conga Anatomy].
* {{cite web|author1=Dr. Olavo Alén Rodriguez|title=A History of the Congas|url=http://www.afrocubaweb.com/cidmuc.htm|website=www.afrocubaweb.com|publisher=AfroCubaWeb, S.A.|access-date=19 November 2017|language=en}}

{{Percussion}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Conga (drum)]]