mystery stroke - the anharmonic tone?

[Roryboy]

Hey ppl,

can anybody tell me what an anharmonic tone is? I read it on a conga website but there was no description... Ive been spending quite a bit of time on slaps recently and my closed slap or "pop" has improved loads but i can only really execute any sort of a slap, open or closed wen my opposite hand is on the skin. should i be working towards being able to do open and closed slaps without the help of my other hand on the skin? I imagine that open slaps would be slightly easier to get the hang of... i kno iv strayed from my origional point but any help would be great
thanks

rory

[JohnnyConga]

I'm not really sure if that is a musical term "anharmonic" are you sure that is the term? If so where does it come from and by who? In reference to congas I have never heard that used as a musical term for the drum.....JC JOHNNY CONGA...

[JohnnyConga]

Now that I looked it up in the dictionary it just means "not harmonic", it is also a ratio introduced into mathematics for defining the metrical properties of variables. Is that what your looking for?....Hope that helps....JC JOHNNY CONGA...

[CongaCaja]

the ratios to which JC is referring are very simple multiples of the a fundamental (low) frequency. Generally, a sound that seems to have pitch tends to have strong frequencies components (sine waves) at regularly spaced intervals. For example...440, 880, 1760, etc.

Slaps? This has been discussed by many (and most more experienced than I) at this site, but there's a few simple rules about the slap (as told by my teacher) and the rest is practice time.

position - the heel of your hand (close to the wrist) should be on the edge of the drum

curvature - the hand should be slightly curved

looseness - the hand should not be too rigid, nor to loose

velocity - good rotation velocity from the wrist...comes with time

tips - one should concentrate on the tips of the fingers this is where the contact is made.

cjk

[Tonio]

Rory,
actually the closed slap is easier than an open slap-at least it was for me when I first started out.
Closed slap (if you're right handed) left hand puts pressure on the head(alittle of centered) and right hand does a slap. It creates a higher pitch than a open slap. some one correct me if I'm wrong.
Then there is another one that I learned by putting one finger near the middle of the head with some pressure, and right hand slap. Thats' the only enharmonic slap I know of. It makes a somewhat off tone slap, but more resonating than a closed slap. Kind of a ping sound, and is louder than either slaps.

T

[Simon B]

Then there is another one that I learned by putting one finger near the middle of the head with some pressure, and right hand slap. Thats' the only enharmonic slap I know of. It makes a somewhat off tone slap, but more resonating than a closed slap. Kind of a ping sound, and is louder than either slaps.

Yeah it's a great stroke that one isn't it? I discovered it by accident a couple of years ago but never really incorporated it into my playing. That can be my home-work.

Simon B

[zaragemca]

Tonio, that's exactly what Tata Guines(the king of Congas) was trying to do becouse it was harder to get the high-pitch in the rest of the tumbadoras(other than the quinto)with and open slap,and that is what it was called cutting the Conga,then the setting up of the elbow in the middle of the Conga,putting a finger in the middle,etc,etc.



Edited By zaragemca on Dec. 04 2003 at 19:58

[windhorse]

perhaps an anharmonic tone is a muffled tone?

[yoni]

Hey Everyone!

Hope all of you are fine. I'm doing good, busy and having fun. Like I read earlier here, the closed slap was easier for me at first than the open slap. But it's just a matter of touch, or snap. The open slap will come easy with the right focus.

I think that enharmonic tone is also known as the flagellate when played on a string instrument. Nice sound, like a bell, and I use it also.

Take care all!

Yoni

[Salvael]

the anharmonic tone, a know it as harmonic, is made by putting the tip of one of your fingers, or nail if you have, on the middle of the skin, this produces a higher pitch nice sound. just like in the guitar or bass. you can see it in some Giovanni Hidalgo videos, specially in " Conga Master" the first of two.

[NaVajO]

Hi there! I also got problems with my open slaps, I actually tend to stick to muted slaps all the time instead.

[GuruPimpi]

Just to add...

Navajo: My teacher tought me the open slap like that:
- Loosen up your fingers (so that they don't stick together),
- You can move your palm a little bit further (than it is with the tone), not too much.
- pretend that your fingers are the endings of a whip, again don't go too much with the imagination, don't hurt yourself (they (fingers) hit the skin like a fast roll)

I practised more on the flat surfaces (table etc...), than on a drum, cause u really get the different sound and your dynamic (force of hit) grows much egually and better.

Try it!

For me the open slap (african) has more dirty, higher sound (than tone ofcourse), but less 'rounded' and poppy like closed (cuban) slap...

T S B
tu...ta...doom...

GuruPimpi