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How do you tune your conga / bongo / timbales?

PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:00 pm
by Victorius
Halo!
To what pith you tune your drums? :)

Re: How do you tune your conga / bongo / timbales?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:31 pm
by thomas newton
I think this question is just too general to get a serious response.

There's lots of info out there, try searching the web for, afro-cuban percussion tuning

Good Luck
Richard

Re: How do you tune your conga / bongo / timbales?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:53 pm
by burke
Unlike a string its really hard to tune to a specific note - think instead of intervals between your drums.

Once you find the sweet spot for one drum many folks then tune the other drum so the interval is a 4th (first two notes of Here Comes the Bride).

Not a rule though

Re: How do you tune your conga / bongo / timbales?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:55 pm
by burke
Sorry that last was for conga/tumba
Bongos vary a lot too but an octave is often used
Timbales - haven't a clue

Re: How do you tune your conga / bongo / timbales?

PostPosted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:02 am
by JConga
congas bongos and timbales are basically tuned the same...G below middle C to the 4th of C so G C...if u add another conga u can tune that to Bflat..like Patato did....or try "here comes the bride" for tuning...of course for timbs and bongos the 4ths maybe tuned higher but still a forth apart....this has been 'traditional" tuning forever.....Johnny Conga....

Re: How do you tune your conga / bongo / timbales?

PostPosted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:08 pm
by burke
Hey JC - Thanks for that.

I searched the forum and the web a while back for bongo interval and got the octave from this LP page
http://www.lpmusic.com/Play_Like_A_Pro/ ... ongos.html

I was always a bit leary of this and now will retune

Re: How do you tune your conga / bongo / timbales?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:48 am
by blackflag
I play with a 12.5" tumba, a 12" tumba and a 11" conga and tune to "Mary Had A Little Lamb". "MA-RY-HAD" Works for me and I gig like that. Always trying to figure out the bongo tuning though.