I really need some help yall - I desperatly need some instructions

[Scott]

Hello my fellow drummers. Yall I need some help. I'm 14 and getting ready to go on a youth missions trip in Little Rock Ak.. now heres my problem. Everyone is encoureged to bring and play an insturment. I have been asked by my youth leader if i could bring and play my bongos; I have no clue on how to play them, but i agreed. So if anyone could give me the basics i would be very thankful? I would get some lessons, but at the moment i don't have the money to, so please if anyone can help please do. It doesn't even have to be a simple rhythm just anything will do? Because right now anything you can tell me is more than i currently know on bongos.
Thanks
Scott

[Raymond]

The basic pattern of the bongo, at least in latin music as well as other genres, is what we call the "martillo" (or hammer in English). Is a very simple pattern. (Is actually 3 hits in the macho drum, the little one, and one in the hembra drum, or big one). Once you master the martillo you could "apply" it to other rhythms.

Maybe some of the guys here could refer you to a site or place you could listen to to get an idea of how the martillo is supposed to sound. As a reference, Jeopardy's theme song in the program has a a bongo playing the "martillo" pattern. Also, check out 'Sex and the City" theme songs, at the beginning and the end. However, please note that besides the martillo, the bongo player is doing improvisations which are hits within the "martillo". Please do this only you have master the "martillo".

Scott, could you read music? If you read, we could provide you with some guides

[JohnnyConga]

KISS .....1+2+3+4 using your index fingers .You tap out this pattern Tic key tic key tic key tock and count the above. High drum high drum high drum low. that is as simple as i can give it to ya, so you can play a simple pattern and count it too.. Hope this helps...At your Service....JC JOHNNY CONGA...PS LET US KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT....

[Scott]

This is Scott. Yes i can read music; if anyone can give me some.
Thanks Agin
Scott

[Clifford]

Scott, David Romero just came out with a bongo video. I haven't seen it but perhaps you'll want to check it out.

http://www.david-romero.com
or by e-mail at bongoslap@earthlink.net

You can also take a look at a short bongo movie I put up on my site. It's too advanced for a beginner but you can get an idea of what it's like to play.

http://afrocubanchops.com/lessons.html

Hope this helps

[Raymond]

Some people do the martillo in different ways but at the end the "effect" is the same. (Some from the "old guard" will disagree with me but I have seen different ways to do but like I mentioned the "sound" and effect is the same). Once you master the martillo you could do variations of it and/or do improvisations like it is done in traditional "cuban/puertorrican" salsa music or their related genres.

FIRST THE POSITION OF THE BONGO WHEN PLAYING: Regardless if you play it between your legs or in a stand, for right handed individuals, the macho or small drum should be in your left and the hembra or big drum should be in your right. (Left handed is the other way around).


MOVEMENT OF YOUR HANDS WHILE PLAYING:

Here is where I see the slight difference in some styles but at the end is the same. (This is all for right handed. If left handed just apply the "other hand.")

When you start playing the bongos the left hand sort of slides through the macho drum and finishes the slide doing sort a "slight push" with the entire hand or preferrably the end of the palm of the left hand into the head to create a "muffle" effect in preparation for the index finger of the the right hand to hit the edge of macho. (That first movement at its simplest way is a double eight note or TATA. Please note that regularly the last TA has an accent. You do it twice. Then the right hand hits the hembra. The "slide" will take some time to master although is pretty simple to do).

TATA = Double eighth note (in macho)

TUN- Quarter note (in hembra)

R- Right Hand, L - Left hand

M- Macho - H - Hembra


WAY NUMBER 1 - This way is when you do the "muffle" movement with your left hand you make a sound with during that movement. (My reading of music is not that great but I am trying here. Please note that is base on a bar of 4 beats. All this takes place in one bar and repeats and repeats...)

TATA TATA TATA TUN

LR LR LR R
M M M H

Note: LR is doing the double quarter note is all doing without any stop


WAY NUMBER 2 - This way is when you do the "muffle" movement but you do not make any sound with it and your first sound or hit is when your "right index finger" hits the edge of the macho. Please note the difference here that is a little bit more syncopated. The muffe movement" ocurrs but is in the silence. Here is the notation is silence of eighth note, eight note, silence of eighth note, eight note, quarter note (all in macho) and the final hit in quarter note on the hembra. This is what I call the traditional way.

S= Silence

STA STA TA(Quarter) TUN
R L R L
M M M H

This is a simpler movement and requires less movement.


Improvisations ocurr within those hits and you coordinate them to fall in either of the "basic pattern" so after the improvisations you could go back to the martillo.

I hope this helps. Sorry about any mistakes. If anybody wants to correct any of my notations or movements. Please do so.

Keep us informed in your progress and if my explanation works.

Saludos


PS: Please note this was edited to correct way 2.



Edited By Raymond on June 11 2003 at 16:34

[RitmoBoricua]

Hi. I know what you talking about on the "martillo" variations. I learned my "martillo" fron hicks in Puerto Rico, which is a little different than the "Cuban" martillo.

[Ed]

I started learning the bongos without formal lessons a couple of years ago. I got two videos by this guy named Kalani that were a big help. The first one is called All About Bongos and it goes through playing postition, tuning, history, then it shows you a basic martillo pattern + (I think) a couple of martillo variations. The second video is called Show Me the Rythms for Bongos. It goes into more martillo variations and also has some good rythms for different genres such as reggae, rock, pop, etc. This would be good if you're not going to be playing in a strictly afro-latin environment. You should be able to find them by doing a search on google or at a local drum and percussion shop. That's were I got mine.

If you practice seriously, you'll outgrow the material on these videos in a few weeks, but watching one or both would be a great jump start for your trip to camp. It really helped me get started. Once you get that stuff down, if you want to continue growing on the bongos, I'd get a book called The Bongo Book. It's got dozens of martillo variations plus tons of other latin rythms that can be played on the bongos. Since you can read music, this book would be great and it's about 50 or 60 pages of really good stuff. It's about 13 bucks on Amazon.

Have fun and have a great trip.

[tamboricua]

Hi. I know what you talking about on the "martillo" variations. I learned my "martillo" fron hicks in Puerto Rico, which is a little different than the "Cuban" martillo. <!--emo&:D

I would say that the difference is in the "feeling" or the interpretation, but the sticking or "manoteo" is the same. For Puertorrican "música brava de seis", more commonly known as "música jíbara", is more of a "swinged feel". On the other hand for Cuban Son or "Salsa", the feel is more of straight eight notes.

Hope this helps!

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

[RitmoBoricua]

Hi. I think "Jibaro Music" when you play the bongo is a bit more laid back or relaxed than the usual "Salsa" patterns most of the time, you really do not have to to ad lib/improvise if you want to. One time you lay down the pattern and lock-in, you pretty much stay there. Now I think what happens in son based music since you have the "tumbadoras" locked-in on the "tumbao" the bongo do not have to stay on the "martillo" as long, so of course the "bongosero" do his ad libs/improvise/riff deal, in "jibaro" music the tumbadoras are not included many times, I played with "jibaros" in Puerto Rico that would not allow a "tumbadora or cencerro". Yes indeed the feel is different.



Edited By RitmoBoricua on June 11 2003 at 20:09