JohnnyConga wrote:Your right to a degree their are many "variaciones"/variations of martillo, beside the standard ticky ticky ticky tock....."JC" Johnny Conga.....still smilin!....
Worth having a look at a DVD by Nan Mercader on www.ventilador-music.com. Google it up.
JohnnyConga wrote:Hey Bongosnotbombs...WE AGREE there is one basic Martillo...as I mentioned ...ticky ticky ticky tock....and from there?...."JC" Johnny Conga....
Salseroberlinense wrote:The problem with bongó is right the fact that what you need to know goes much further than learning some basic rhythms like for the congas. Note that quite a couple of the basic rhythms people learn for congas are just usually not played with bongó. On the other hand, changüí for example is traditionally without conga and very hard for bongó. And if you come to jazz, neither conga nor bongó are bound to fixed patterns, there are as many variations as you want to invent.
In Latin music, if you just give a basis with the congas it does not make you a great player but at least you don't disturb the others. If you play martillo all the time on bongó it is legitimate to ask - why do we need you? Bongoses are there to give taste to the songs, to play repiques, to vary. That is very difficult and hard to teach. You need a good feeling for the songs, and there is no pattern that you can learn and it will fit for whatever you play with your band. The David Romero DVD is great to give an introduction, but even if you study it very well it won't be enough as a preparation for playing in a band. You need to listen a lot, and maybe study videos by great players. Dandy Rodriguez has great stuff on youtube, played with a band as well as percussion only.
Omelenko wrote:In my opinion, the best bongo' DVD out there now is David Romero's. I have an old VHS from Manny Oquendo,is mostly on "paila" (timbales) technique but it has about 5 minutes on bongo playing and campana. Manny is one of my oldtime favorite bongocero and timbalero. His bongo playing is very tasty and traditional, I copied his "contratiempo" with the left hand on his martillo pattern, simple but powerfull and tasty. His campaneo is very tasty as well. If you can find it get it. Dario
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