Mathew Smith Bongó

[blavonski]

I'm sure that if you properly tuned that trash can, it could sound like a Brazillian Surdo or something similar. Do you know what the best pailas were made of? You'll be surprised! And by the way; when I make an exposition here, I'm talking in general and to the people involved in a discussion as a whole, me included. If you felt alluded by the "blah,blah,blah" I'm sorry. About the "intelligent discourse" that's something subjective. I would rather use "research", "study", etc... to avoid getting in subjective areas. What is an intelligent talk for me, not necessarily it means the same to you. I do like the sound of the film you use, though.

One final remark for your benefit if you wish: I noticed your martillo style. I use to do it the same way...until I played with Pablito Rosario. He invited me to his home next weekend in order to teach me some techniques and the first thing he corrected me was the martillo. "Never lift your left hand from the macho. Do you lift the left hand from the conga making the "vaqueteo" while playing? NO, because it's part of the compass and when you lift your left hand, a lot of sound is left out". And he went on and taught me why...All I can say is that because of his lessons, my martillo and sound improved 100%! After 30 years playing this instrument, it only took me 15 minutes to improve my technique, martillo and sound. When we think that we know everything, we are just opening the door to stupidity and mediocrity. I don't suffer from ego shit, thanks God, and because of that I learn everyday. That day, I just shut my mouth, listened to maestro Rosario and today I'm a better bongocero. That's what counts. I also polished my reading skills with him. Definitely one of the most complete musicians and a definitive authority in latin percussion.

Some very good points you make above El Magnifico, concerning both the Martillo and the skinned trash can.

[caballoballo]

"Quote "El Magnífico wrote never lift your hand from the macho.

Yes indeed, the martillo are 8 1/8 notes, your left hand is always in contact with the macho skin because is doing his part of the pattern. In my playing rhythm while improvising my left hand is always adding something to the flavor.

[El Magnifico]

"Quote "El Magnífico wrote never lift your hand from the macho.

Yes indeed, the martillo are 8 1/8 notes, your left hand is always in contact with the macho skin because is doing his part of the pattern. In my playing rhythm while improvising my left hand is always adding something to the flavor.

That's right, Josean, more or less what Pablito told me years ago...and believe me: he was right! You would hardly noticed it in a live venue but when you record, then, it is a complete diferent story as the mic picks up everything you do. I'm amazed to see how many different Martillo styles are around. Not neccesarily bad, but not neccesarily correct either. When you keep your left hand on the macho and keep the compass with your hand, thumb and fingers, the sound is better and nothing is left out. When you are just going in and out brushing your macho with the left hand, most of the martillo is lost. It took me a while to get use to it, but once I learned it, I never went back again.

Martillo is the basic. You have to dominate it completely to be a good bongocero. I have seen many "instructional" videos on you tube, (yeah! now everyone with a camera is an instructor of something, ha!) and when they start with the wrong basic martillo, I simply turned it off. Speaking of videos, the other day I found what could be a good reference video if only properly done. A guy with 5 different bongos. He was trying to show how different they sound. The guy knows about the bongo and his idea is excellent BUT...all sets were completely de-tuned! How in the heck you can appreciate the difference between such or such bongo if they are not properly tuned? Not big differences, if any, were noticed.

Rumba!

[Tumbas]

Magnifico - I believe that guy is a member of this forum.

He goes by the username - "Mr Rumba".

He has a lot of beautiful drums.

[caballoballo]

Saludos, I remember my first day at Escuela libre de música long long time ago . My teacher (Raul Berrios) asked me how I played martillo, remember a comercial of channel 4(wapa tv) during the 70s with a cat playing bongó? That's how my martillo sounded and look like. So he demonstrated how to correctly play martillo. The same was ask to me by professor Luis Velez at the conservatorio de música a couple years back when I was taking lessons with him.

[El Magnifico]

Magnifico - I believe that guy is a member of this forum.

He goes by the username - "Mr Rumba".

He has a lot of beautiful drums.

Excellent! Then perhaps we can convince him to do it again but with the instruments properly tuned. As I said, this guy knows the bongo and his idea is brilliant but...

[El Magnifico]

Saludos, I remember my first day at Escuela libre de música long long time ago . My teacher (Raul Berrios) asked me how I played martillo, remember a comercial of channel 4(wapa tv) during the 70s with a cat playing bongó? That's how my martillo sounded and look like. So he demonstrated how to correctly play martillo. The same was ask to me by professor Luis Velez at the conservatorio de música a couple years back when I was taking lessons with him.

Ha! I remember that ad from Ch. 4 because that's when my parents bought me my first bongo! It was a $25.00 acrilyc set in blue color with plastics head! When my father gave me the bongo he asked me to play El Canal 4 theme...Ha! That was during the 70's. I think I have your phone. I'll be calling you soon.

Rumba!

[burke]

Teachable moment here.

Words don't really cut it for this.

Please provide a link to someone playing in this 'correct' way and with the bongos in tune.

Otherwise its just more balh, blah blah

[El Magnifico]

Teachable moment here.

Words don't really cut it for this.

Please provide a link to someone playing in this 'correct' way and with the bongos in tune.

Otherwise its just more balh, blah blah

Very easy. Go to you tube and search Pablito Rosario. Enjoy!

[burke]

Ok - did that.

All the ones I found were kind of shitty - I don't mean the playing. I mean the quality so between the sound, the camera etc, was kind of hard to make anything out.

Any videos of him teaching/demoing martillo with bongos in tune and using the left hand the way you guys are talking about?

Or someone else?

[burke]

BTW - La Familia Valera Miranda [I think it was them ... some "La Familia" anyway] visited Halifax a few years ago and the bongocero gave a clinic. He corrected my martillo. He said I was playing my left the old way [Thumb/finger]. He showed me what is essentially conga heel/tip ... which as you say results in the left hand being in contact most of the time ... and yes it was a 5 minute lesson that changed my playing almost instantly.

Again - words don 't really cut it and I'd like to check out a clear example online - to see if what I'm playing is what you are talking about - or if not, learn something that sounds really cool.

Also the tuning - I know the videos you are talking about where you say the bongos are not tuned.

They sounded ok to me ... so again I'd like to compare and learn the difference.

Teach me!!!!

[El Magnifico]

Ok - did that.

All the ones I found were kind of shitty - I don't mean the playing. I mean the quality so between the sound, the camera etc, was kind of hard to make anything out.

Any videos of him teaching/demoing martillo with bongos in tune and using the left hand the way you guys are talking about?

Or someone else?

Unfortunately, you are right about the shitty quality sound as most of you tube videos are, but you are able to immediately identified that his bongos are tuned. See how he does the martillo and how he perfomed in the bongo when the conga start playing. Try this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0l1nsoPJ1Q and this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDjR4FhcNWo

Pablo palyed 15 years with Mongo Santamaría, 7 with Larry Harlow, was a founding member of Conjunto Borincuba, etc... Let me know the results.

[burke]

The first one does the trick! Don't know why I didn't find it. Many thanks ... will study.

Sorry BTW - to the OP. I know this was total thread hijack ... but in my opinion a really excellent deviation from the topic.

I'm done. ... back to bongo debate.

[FidelsEyeglasses]

"Pablo palyed (played)15 years with Mongo Santamaría"

In other words, 15 years of learning from a master of the martillo.....
http://youtu.be/NbzxrjypLp4

[jorge]

Continiuing with this great hijack...
Yeah, Monte Adentro is one of my favorite Mongo tunes, thanks for posting it. Fortunately for the tune, but unfortunately for this thread, the bongo martillo is largely covered up by the conga "a caballo" part (similar to makuta) and you can't really hear the martillo clearly. On Ti Mon Bo, Willie Bobo was playing bongo not Mongo, but fortunately for us the engineer put the bongo totally on the left channel and the conga and timbale solos on the right channel. So if you can bear to turn off the channel with the conga and timbale solos (just this once!) you will hear Willie Bobo's very clear martillo on the other channel, holding time through the solos. There is enough bleed of the conga and timbales into the bongo mic that you can still hear them, but you can hear the martillo particularly clearly on this recording.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXBgJ2ajjQs
You will have to experiment a bit with your own hands and instrument to get the sound, but that is how many of the great percussionists learned, by sitting with their instrument and listening as they played. A good teacher or a good video can help but in the end you will have to figure out how to fine tune your sound yourself. If you have easy access to a great teacher like Pablito you have a real advantage.