New Conga Brother...

[BadBoyBerto]

Hello Everyone,

I decided to finally register today.

I have been lurking and reading through the threads for the better parts of the last two weeks and i'm very impressed with the camaraderie and overall tone of the threads. Missing is a lot of the ATTITUDE and online fighting that is present in almost all other community forums.

I am a much better dancer than congero and i hope to one day be able to do both at a high level. I bought my Richi Garcia LP classic Conga and Tumba after getting my "war rebate" check about a month ago. I thought it would come easy for me, but it has been a challenge. I'm struggling with keeping a steady pulse, time and clave. But i love it and i practice everyday.

After reading these posts i am going to buy a metronome?
Any suggestions on which metronome to buy and how to use it (e.g.practice exercises)?
Any teacher recommendations in Bay Area?

Thanks,
~Berto

[burke]

Welcome Berto!
This is the best place in the whole wide world ... can't help with a teacher in the Bay area... Bongo snot bombs [and others] will however.

I bought a KORG KDM-2 and love it! [son and rumba clave and more]

BSB [I'm guessing] will also suggest a drum machine [also good]

The site is not totally free from bad stuff ( search for Dr. Z} but by and large its mostly just the good stuff.

A warm welcome from Nova Scotia [Canada]

Darrell

[burke]

PS.

Son clave is often a little easier for us (well me) not raised in the tradition
Play the big drum (tumba) on the 3 side
see THE Man himself at:
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/1150 ... rums-3.htm

can't go wrong there

[ABAKUA]

Welcome to the Forum. Feel free to contribute.

As for a metronome, anyone you can hear while playing the drum will do the job.

[bongosnotbombs]

Welcome Berto!
This is the best place in the whole wide world ... can't help with a teacher in the Bay area... Bongo snot bombs [and others] will however.

I bought a KORG KDM-2 and love it! [son and rumba clave and more]

BSB [I'm guessing] will also suggest a drum machine [also good]


Darrell

There are several teachers in the Bay Area.

Sandy Perez is teaching in berkeley at La Pena Saturdays.
Carlos Aldama is in San Francisco in the Mission,
Louis Romero also in the Mission at the Mission Cultural center,

I take classes with Carlos and Sandy.

This is the thread you really want though...all the instructors around the Bay Area.

http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/viewt ... =16&t=3451

I like the drum machine because you can program any pattern you want it with any
sound you choose, I just think they are more flexible. You can find them used pretty cheap (Alessis SR16)
about $60. Those Korg's are probably very good as well, I've never seen one though.

[pavloconga]

Hey welcome to congaboard Berto!
pavlo

[Thomas Altmann]

Welcome Berto!

I am a much better dancer than congero and i hope to one day be able to do both at a high level.

Now that's a cool place to come from - dancing!

Any teacher recommendations in Bay Area?

Man, you are living at the source! You have Dr. Clave: David Peñalosa (member of the board); you have Michael Spiro, and you have John Santos (one of my teachers), among many others ... Flaco, and all the Cuban guys.

All the best to you,

Thomas

[BadBoyBerto]

Hey Everyone,
Thanks for the responses.

I am going to go check out a KORG KDM-2 today. I might buy a cow bell too!!

Hopefully they will have one out of the box that i can play with.

I used to teach a "salsa dancing" when i was in college, so this weekend i did some searching and i found several cd's that are counting CDs including one that has 28 minutes of strictly basic tumbau and 2/3 clave that i use to practice.

I am really starting to feel it more so on the 2 side of the clave, but keeping a steady pulse and timing is still admittedly extremely hard right now. The CD is really cool because it has like 50 tracks and it plays one instrument (e.g cowbell, congas, different tumbaus, guidos, etc..) on one track and directly afterward it plays the same track with clave and there is a person counting.

I learned on another thread to think of heel toe more accurately as base fingers, so thats what i worked on this weekend. During cha cha it was easy, but during during faster salsa i keep going back to my old way.

I am trying to work my leg independent of my hands to play clave, BUT i am nowhere near close to accomplishing this. I don't even see light at the end of the tunnel .. ...