Every musician who plays an instrument always looks for the best instrument for himself. For you to amaze your audience with your skills, it is vital that your instrument is carefully chosen and opted for. At the look of it, it might just be a conga drum, but the drum decides how well you play and how suitable it is for you! If you have just begun and are baffled by all the varieties or someone who has played for a while but cannot seem to adjust any drum, then we have listed down what to look for when buying a conga drum.
The level of expertise
We know we have different levels of expertise, and the more we practice, the better we become. With Conga drums like any other instrument, your level of expertise plays an essential role in deciding what you would be buying. For beginners, it is advisable to buy the simple and plain ones to experiment on the basics, and it will also give you room to grow.
If you are someone whose expertise level is intermediate, then we would suggest that you buy the comparatively complicated ones to give you the challenge that you need to push yourself harder. A more technical Conga drum would give you the space to explore.
An expert might choose the drums based on their own preference and how they want to use them. For what matters, experts choose their drums themselves.
Drumhead
The thickness of the drumhead decides what kind of sound it will make. Thicker drumheads produce very flat and dull sounds, but the thinner edges give you the liberty to play with the sounds and produce a variable sound making a melodious tune.
There are two types of heads available. Rawhide and Synthetic. Rawhide heads produce a more authentic and deeper sound. Since they are naturally made, they are affected by weather and more high maintenance. You are supposed to apply a layer of oil when the head becomes dry.
On the other hand, the synthetic ones are easy maintenance and produce a crispier sound.
Shell Construction
Most shells are made with flat rectangular wooden slats glued together to make a unique shape. You need to ensure that there are no gaps between the slats when you buy the drum, as it will result in you running into tone issues. The more expensive ones are made with solid wood blocks, which eliminates any chances of gas ensuring perfection.
The other option is to buy a shell made out of fiberglass. Fiberglass shell conga drums produce a sound that is louder and sharp.
The Rim
The structure that holds the drum's head onto the drum's shell should be tight and firm. But an unnecessarily strong rim would result in the drum head tearing away or becoming weak at the joint. On the other hand, a loose rim would result in the drum head being wobbly and not making a good sound.
You can also opt for flat or curved rims. The flat rims are traditional rims that were a part of the original design. But over time, it was realized that the flat rim can hurt the drummer when playing at a certain angle, so that's when people started to prefer curved rims. So, the better option would be to opt for a rim that's adequately tight and curved.
Tuning Lugs
Your tuning lugs should be thick. If you hope your drum will last long, then we must select one with lugs between 7mm-10mm in thickness. The thickness allows for a greater range of sounds, a long-lasting tuning and a drum that stays.
Size
You do have different sizes available, but the various causes the type of drums to change. So, if you are looking exactly for conga drums then the height should be around 11.75 inches.
FAQs
How do I tune my Conga drum?
When you want to tune your Conga, it is not necessary to follow a specific pattern. You can either follow the Crisscross pattern or just randomly tune your lugs. The real deal is to take care of the number of turns that you turn each lug. Each lug should be turned exactly the same number of times.
Note: many players recommend that one tune congas with an interval of either a perfect 4th or a major/minor 3rd apart.
How do I maintain my congas?
There are just two easy steps.
The head: If you have opted for a rawhide head, you have signed up for a high-maintenance drum. You can buy some almond oil or Lanolin and apply a thin layer of it gently over your drum. It will prevent your drumhead from going dry.
The tuning lugs also need some maintenance. You just have to oil them every now and then. Taking care of the lugs is important as they establish your drum's durability and how long it is going to last.
When should I buy my Conga drums?
Once you realize your love for the Conga drums and are ready to invest time in learning, that's when you should get your hands on your first conga drums. It can start as early as when you are a child or as late as you have retired. What matters is, that your drums should be used by you.
How quick can I learn to play Conga?
A standard time for learning Conga is between 2-3 months. But that's not fixed. You can learn quicker if you are dedicated and determined to learn it in a specific period.
What are the few strokes of playing Conga?
A few techniques are open slap, closed slap, bass tone, toe stroke and touch.
What genre does a conga drum belong to?
A conga drum belongs to Afro-Cuban genres.