One of the first, and most important steps in learning to how to play congas, is learning how to tune them properly. Tuning a conga drum, like tuning any drum, is an oft-overlooked art form, despite the fact that it can be the difference between sounding like a seasoned conguero vs. sounding like a complete beginner. With proper tuning, the drum has an open, resonant quality that allows the conga player to “say” more with fewer notes, getting more bang for their buck in a solo, and create grooves that are that much more enticing to vibe with. If it’s poorly tuned, it runs the risk of sounding “dead,” an it won’t matter what kind of chops, licks, or rhythms you can pull off, they’ll all get dulled down by a poorly tuned drum. So grab your wrench, and your ears, and let’s get to work!
SKINS VS. SYNTHETICS
Why is tuning a conga more complicated than it looks? First and foremost let’s get our heads on straight; are we talking animal skins (rawhides) or synthetic heads? An animal skin is a dynamic material, that constantly reacts to humidity in the air, and tends to have a warmer, rounder tone than your average synthetic head when tuned properly. Of course it also has its downsides. Most notably, that the tuning of the drum can differ wildly from day to day (or hour to hour) if we’re dealing with extreme changes in temperature and humidity. This can affect the feel and use of the instrument in a way that can be very frustrating.
A synthetic head has its own set of attributes and detriments. It will hold its pitch very consistently no matter the weather or humidity, meaning its great for gigs outdoors and will require less major pitch adjustments. Many working conga players will even leave their synthetic headed drums tuned up 100% of the time when in storage, because they know they can pull them out for a gig and be ready to go with only a couple tuning tweaks. The main down side synthetic conga heads is that they will generally produce a bit more overtones than your average rawhide, which can sometime over power the fundamental tone of the drum, and sound out of place in certain musical contexts.
WHY THE PRO CONGA PLAYER CARES ABOUT TUNING
This almost goes without saying, but tuning a conga drum correctly will make it easier to cleanly execute all of the amazing sounds you can get out of the drum. If you’re trying to play a quinto style solo, filled with crisp slaps but your drum is tuned too low, it’s going to be that much more difficult to achieve the sound you have in mind. Of course it's important to master the tones on any drum, at any pitch, but having the drums tuned properly for the style you’re playing will save you the frustration of not being able to cleanly deliver the tones you’re aiming for. Generally speaking, conga drums of a certain size will be able to comfortably accommodate the following pitch ranges:
11” Quinto: C5-G5
11.75” Conga: A4-E5
12.5” Tumba: C4-Bb4
14” Super Tumba: A3-G4
*Click here to download our FREE Tuning Guide PDF for two and three drums!
ESSENTIAL TUNING GEAR FOR EVERY CONGA PLAYER
Now that we understand a bit about different heads, and have the basic ranges in mind for tuning the congas, let’s get to work. First off, we need to start with the right tools to get the job done. Most congas come with a wrench, which is tailored to fit the nuts and bolts that are responsible for tuning the drums. Whether you’re on your way to a conga lesson, or to play percussion at a show, always do your best have a wrench with you so you never show up empty handed. If you don’t have the factory provided wrench, you can use any adequate sized wrench in your home to tighten or loosen the tension rods, but stay away from teethed wrenches or pliers, as both tools can damage your conga drums or cause injury to your hands due to improper grip on the lug nuts.
HOW TO TUNE THE CONGA DRUMS IN 5 BASIC STEPS
Step 1: Play an open tone to help you evaluate which direction, up or down in pitch, you want the drum to go to. I like to use a virtual piano app or any app with a pitch generating function on my phone (there are a zillion of them for free in the app store) to get the note in my ear that I want to tune the drum to.
*PRO TIP: Remember that when playing seated, the conga drum you play between your legs will have a different pitch when it’s tilted off the ground. So when you’re checking the pitch make sure you do so with the conga tilted off the ground.
Step 2: Next, turn the nut a quarter to half for each rod. You can do this either in a clockwise to loosen the lug nut and lower the pitch, or counterclockwise tighten the lug nut and raise the pitch.
*PRO TIP: when tuning, micro adjustments are gold— because you can apply pressure on the head from at times 5 or 6 different lugs, you don’t have to make big turns to get affect the pitch.
Step 3: Once you’re in the ballpark, tap the drum head just beside the tension rod with your fingers or wrench (gently) and listen to the higher harmonic frequencies above the fundamental pitch. In order for your drum to be as resonant as possible, the 5 or 6 lugs depending on the drum, should produce matching pitches in this harmonic frequency.
Step 4: Often times a conga drum will continue to self-adjust after you’re done tuning. So to avoid the pitch drastically changing, play a hefty bass tone in the middle of the drum to force the drum head settle a bit, to make it easier to maintain the pitch.
Step 5: After you’ve performed Step 4 to help the head settle, play a few more open tones slowly, listen closely to evaluate the pitch, make any micro adjustments you need to, and you’re good to go!
FINAL THOUGHTS ON TUNING THE CONGA DRUM
Along with learning how to play conga drums with proper technique, learning different rhythms, and developing musicality by listening to, and playing, music from all different genres and eras, tuning your drums properly for a particular musical setting is one of the most integral aspects of learning how to play congas.
Remember that tuning is a life long discipline, and some of us may initially lack the patience to properly learn what can at times be a frustrating process. But it’s certainly worth taking the time to learn to tune properly as it makes a world of difference on the bandstand and in the studio. Even taking the time to get tuned up before a conga lesson will help your drum sound better, and help you better convey your musical intention to your teacher and fellow students.
Of course what we covered in this article are just some loose guidelines to keep in mind. Ideally, what you want to do is listen to recordings of different genres, eras and players, and find tunings that you like, that compliment the musical situation that you're in.
If you’re interested in learning more about this incredible instrument, come check out our Membership options at CongaChops.com. We’ve got an amazing library of Conga Lessons and Courses, over 10+ hours of exclusive Practice Loops, and an amazing Community Forum where you can meet and discuss with other conga players, as well as get 1-on-1 feedback on everything you’re working on.