New Guy with Questions and Sore Hands

[Hawker]

Hello,
I'm new here and just wanted to say Hi. I've been playing drums for forty years (jazz and blues mostly) and have just decided I'd like to give Congas a try. I was actually asked to do a club gig on Conga and because I knew the guy I said yes. Went out and borrowed a Conga, visted YouTube for about three hours and went out and did the gig. Frankly, it went very well and several people asked how many years I had been playing. I told them three....hours.

Anyway, due to bad technique or no technique at all, this is day two of very sore hands. I've been icing them but they still remain somewhat swollen and the knuckles really hurt. So question #1. Does everyone get sore hands in the beginning or is it ONLY because of poor technique?

2. The drums I borrowed are LP Aspire models. Apparently they are not all that great a drum but I would think they are good enough to learn on. My problem is that I keep hitting my thumb on the metal rim when I play. I have noticed that there is very little space between where the edge of the head drops off and the rim...maybe an inch. Also noticed that other drums seem to be a lot deeper there. So am I hitting my thumb because of bad technique or is this a poor design?

3. Is it reasonable to look for good used drums on Ebay or CL? If so, can you give me a few good names or models to look for?

4. If I was only going to start with one size drum...what should that be?

Thanks much, I'm looking forward to hanging out here a bit and learning a lot.
Steve

PS: I live in the Atlanta area...any teachers in this neck of the woods?

[Anonimo]

POST REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[CongaTick]

Hawker,

Welcome. Leedy's advice is solid. Contact Johnny Conga. He is one of the leading forum pros who maintains almost daily postings and a conguero with decades of playing and teaching experience. He will steer you in the right direction. That being said -- and in addition-- take the time to use the SEARCH function to sift through past forum posts. Every issue you've addressed has been covered (hand placement/technique, proper strokes and their execution, swollen hands and hand injury, Aspire drums, etc). Thoroughly. But you must make some effort to find the answers here. Good luck. Welcome again and contact Johnny.

[vxla]

You wouldn't try to run a 5k after just learning how to walk; nor should you have done this, quite honestly. JC gives excellent advice. You could also learn from a book such as "The Tomás Cruz Conga Method" (a set of three books with accompanying DVDs) or Michael Spiro's book/video "The Conga Drummers Guidebook". If you're looking for immediate help, start with something like this: http://youtu.be/CKMds5wz6mE and work through his series of how to get the proper tones, technique, etc. None of this is a substitute for a teacher who can help you, specifically, with what you need.

[Hawker]

Thanks guys...I do appreciate your help and suggestions.

One last question if you don't mind. At sixty I'm starting to realize that I have to make some compromises with my body. Currently I don't have any problems with my hands although my father died with horrible degenerative arthritis. Is there any medical or anecdotal evidence that long term playing with your hands leads to arthritis or medical issues down the road?

Thanks again.
Steve

[jorge]

Absolutely. Playing wrong or playing too much can, but does not necessarily, lead to many kinds of hand problems. As a practicing physician who also has been playing congas for 39 years, here is my opinion on your question.

Hand and Upper Extremity Problems that can result from Conga Playing:
-Arthritis (joint inflammation or destruction)
-Tendinitis
-Carpal tunnel syndrome and other nerve compression injuries
-Acute pain in the soft tissues of the finger tips (very common)
-Wrist pain
-Splitting of skin on fingers
-Excessive callus formation
-Rotator cuff injuries, and
-Shoulder bursitis.


Risk Factors for Hand and Upper Extremity Problems:
-Poor hand technique hitting the drum
-Playing very hard (especially playing to be heard over amplified instruments without using adequate sound reinforcement)
-Playing for many hours a day
-Having to play frequently for a living (as opposed to when you feel like it as a hobby)
-Playing while drunk, high, or otherwise anaesthetized
-Playing while recovering from other hand injuries
-Holding the drum with the skin at the wrong angle relative to your hands
-Playing a high-tuned quinto with a hard skin
-Playing a lot of slaps

None of these risk factors are absolute, any of them may or may not cause problems in a particular drummer, I am well aware of drummers that have no major problems with their hands but fit into many or most of these risk categories. Anecdotally, most of the older conga players I know have had problems with their hands, mild in some, severe in others. I don't know any who say it was not worth it, although some of the old timers who can't do good slaps like they used to because of hand injuries have told me they wish they had not played so hard for so many years.


What to Do
Now the good news. Hand problems and pain can almost always be prevented by learning proper technique hitting the drum, playing with appropriate dynamics with the other instruments and vocalists, judicious use of microphones and sound reinforcement, and identification and avoidance of the risk factors listed above that make your hands hurt. You have an advantage that, as a drummer, you won't have to play congas all night at every gig. Find a good conga teacher, preferably one who has been playing for many years, plays well, and can teach. JC, mentioned above, comes highly recommended and has been teaching for many years, and/or you may also want to find a local teacher in your geographic area. CongaMasterClass.com is another reputable internet conga class. Lessons on YouTube are highly variable, although those mentioned here in this website are usually decent. It sounds like you are an accomplished musician and will be able to pick up much of this very quickly. Even so, you have to respect the subtlety and difficulty of learning some of the skills of playing a conga drum, and not be impatient if things like conga hand motions, clean consistent slaps, clave, and other conga-specific techniques take a long time to really do well.

[Anonimo]

POST REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[Hawker]

Jorge,
Thanks so much. I couldn't have asked for a more complete and candid answer than that! Yes, the downsides do sound a bit scary as I'd like to finish out my life in reasonable shape and not with unnecessary physical issues. However, it does sound that with a little prudence (and a few lessons) that I should be able to enjoy this new approach to drumming without too much risk. After all...it's not like I'm trying to go back out on the road with Santana.

Leedy2, very sorry to hear of your arthritis and the struggle that must be. Thanks very much for your input as well...good words. And by the way...my first set of drums were Leedy.

Thanks gentlemen.
Steve

[jorge]

Most of the health problems mentioned are related to excessive playing of very hard working professional conga players or to poor technique (or both). Don't let us scare you away from learning some conga techniques and rhythms and playing congas up to a few gigs a week after proper training and using adequate sound reinforcement as appropriate based on the other musicians in your group. I agree with Leedy that trying to become a full time conga player who makes a living from just playing congas (and/or bongo) is not advisable later in life (in these economic times maybe not even early in life!). But judging from your post it does not sound like that is what you had in mind, sounds like you want to keep playing drum set as your main instrument and enhance that with conga skills. If that is the case, I say go for it, with the caveat that being a good or great drummer does not necessarily translate into learning conga-specific skills (eg, good tone, slap and bass sound, sound projection without straining, heel-toe techniques, fitting into the holes of the groove without overplaying, etc) super fast. With patience and a good teacher you will probably pick that stuff up more quickly than someone who does not already play percussion, just don't expect it to be immediate. "A few lessons" is not going to do it. Not for piano, not for tabla, not for drumset, not for congas.

[Psych1]

For me the fear of developing arthritis has kept me playing congas and bongos. I am a piano player, from a family of piano players, and there is a history of arthritis in my family. Many in my family have had to stop playing piano in their 40's and 50's because they lost flexibility in their fingers - but their wrists, elbows, and shoulders were OK. Well, compared to their fingers, pretty OK and still strong enough for conga playing. I have been spared so far. But still if it ever hits me I believe I will still be able to play conga and maybe bongo too. But, listen to the guys here - don't hit too hard! Take good care of your hands.

[OLSONGO]

I had some kind of bursitis on my shoulders and tendinitis in the right elbow. I am 53 and still going strong, play 3 sets 3 to 4 days a week ..Salsa and Jazz w/ 3 congas . Took the red meat out of my diet( uric acid ) , did some cleansing with herbal teas..problems are gone.
Peace
Olsongo