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Hand Drum Fundamentals

Hand drums like congas and bongos are Cuban instruments made of wood or fiberglass shells with natural buffalo or plastic heads. Each drum is tuned to its best resonant pitch using a wrench in half-turns after finger tightening. Basic hand techniques produce bass, open, slap, muffled tones and use heel-toe movements to play intervals like thirds and fourths.

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151 views1 page

Hand Drum Fundamentals

Hand drums like congas and bongos are Cuban instruments made of wood or fiberglass shells with natural buffalo or plastic heads. Each drum is tuned to its best resonant pitch using a wrench in half-turns after finger tightening. Basic hand techniques produce bass, open, slap, muffled tones and use heel-toe movements to play intervals like thirds and fourths.

Uploaded by

johap7
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Hand Drums

Congas and Bongos Cuban instruments


Shells: wood (usually oak) = warmer sound
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Fiberglass = more durable, more cutting volume

Heads: - natural (usually buffalo hide)


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Plastic

Tuning
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Each drum has its own specific pitch at which it resonates best
Finger tighten, then use the wrench in half-turns, then fine tune
3rds and fourth intervals work well

Hand Techniques
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Bass tone
Open tone
Slap
Muffled tone
Heel-toe technique

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