Heel technique - some advice needed

[martin]

Hello,

yesterday my "congateacher" told me that technique is much more important than the sound and that it takes a while to get it under control.

Does anyone of you have some advice for a good heeltechnique. My teacher told me that the gravity must do the work not me. I find it rather difficult, especialy in slow tempos as in the boleo to use my underarm (while playing the heel) as my teacher adviced me and to do it in a relaxed way instead of pushing my hand towards the congas

thank yoy and have a good day!!

Martin







( have to improve my heeltechnique. he said that the gravity must do the work, not me.

[paulo da salvia]

Hi Martin,
I agree with your teacher about gravity but i don't when he says technique is more important than sound. I think they always come together.
My advices when practicing the Tumbao technic:
1) start very slow
2) always think about the left hand movement. Keep it absolutely relaxed. :cool:
3) keep your hand flat, never 'cup' it
4) concentrate on the sounds you make: they MUST have the same level, no one upper than another
5) speed up!
The Tumbao technicque needs a lot of practice, but gives you a lot of satisfactions (this is my experience) :cheesy:
Hope this will help you.
Stay tuned!!!
Paulo

[Laurent Lamy]

Paulo gave you good advices. It is always necessary to think that the sound is a part of the technique. The ####- tip technic is a complete part of the sound and the sound is the base of the technic.
Bye

[martin]

Paulo en Laurent,

thank you for the advice. I understand that sound is a part of the tecnic....and it is important to concentrate on the effects off good handsettings.

I find it rather difficult but very interesting to practise really slow tempos, because then you see and hear the effects of a bad and good technic. In fast tempos you can cover little mistakes.

By the way....i like this forum very much and have a really good time when i see so much tips and other interesting stuff....

Good luck with your work!!


Martin

[paulo da salvia]

Yes Martin,
this forum (and Congaplace) is a great place for people looking for other people's tips, ideas, concepts and experiences about our beautiful instrument.
Thanks again, Mr Congaman!
Keep in touch, Martin!:biggrin:

[Bongo Boy]

Elsewhere in this forum (but I can't find it now) 'proper' heel-tip technique was described as follows: the drum is struck first with the full hand, NOT just the heel. The fingers are allowed to bounce off the head, then brought back down to get the tip sound.

This changes everything as far as muscle memory, and the initial strike sounds nearly identical to a bass tone. Comments?

[JohnnyConga]

Hey guys Technique IS everything u need for developement of sound. For "El mano Secreto" the "left Hand" if ur righty.should be as relaxed as possible and then "Rock" Heel Toe, Heel toe, until it becomes what I call a "Shuffle". start with quarter notes,then 8th's then `16ths.
H T H T H T H T THEN HTHTHTHT.
Quarter Eighths Sixteenths......Always practice slowly at first. I can tell u the hardest way to play is slow. Trying to play a rhythm like Yambu or a bolero still takes Discepline...oh yea If I haven't said it before,I'll say it now....
Dedication-Discepline-Determination-Desire= Destiny......So do u have it? Let's do it! At your Service JC JOHNNY CONGA.....

[REQUINTOFUNK]

the man JC has said it well.listen to the vets gentleman.they have comed from the old school to the new.

[benbaboon]

Martin, most everything has been said already and rather well.
The reason you don't get good sound with gravity is because your hand is not relaxed. your muscles are pulling it back instead of letting gravity bring it down....
-bb

[martin]

Yeah....thanks BB....i think it is indeed the art of being relaxed.... sometimes, when playing, i realise that. It feels good and it sounds better.

see yah..

Martin