Conga:Conga Drum|Funrose

Conga:Conga Drum|Funrose-The conga is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents.A person who plays conga is called a “conguero“. Although ultimately derived from African drums made from hollowed logs, the Cuban conga is staved, like a barrel. These drums were probably made from salvaged barrels originally. They are used both in Afro-Caribbean religious music and as the principal instrument in Rumba. Congas are now very common in Latin music, including salsa music, merengue music, Reggaeton, as well as many other forms of American popular music.

Most modern congas have a staved wooden or fiberglass shell, and a screw-tensioned drumhead. They are usually played in sets of two to four with the fingers and palms of the hand. Typical congas stand approximately 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.

There are five basic strokes:

* Open tone: played with the four fingers near the rim of the head, producing a clear resonant tone with a distinct pitch.
* Muffled tone: like the open tone, is made by striking the drum with the four fingers, but holding the fingers against the head to muffle the tone
* Bass tone: played with the full palm on the head. It produces a low muted sound.
* Slap: the most difficult technique producing a loud clear “popping” sound (when played at fast and short intervals is called floreo, played to instill emotion in the dancer).
* Touch: 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 combine a touch of the palm with a touch of the fingers in a maneuver called heel-toe, which can be used to produce the conga equivalent of drumrolls.

The 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 [1][2]. The moose call is also done on the bongos.

To bend the pitch of the conga, 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.

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