Free video lessons · Intermediate
Quick-Tip Conga Lessons
Twenty short lessons on fills, phrases and variations you can use to add some variety to your tumbao. I put this series together to complement the step-by-step curriculum inside CongaChops, and it goes into detail on some lesser-known nuances that some of the world's most legendary conga players have mastered and use.
Each Quick-Tip is a small piece of how I teach inside CongaChops, where members practice every one of these lessons with a suggested play-along loop from our library.
"The Quick-Tip and the Transitional Fills are one of the best part of the website. There is a lot of content out there on rhythms but very little on variations and transitions."
Part 1 · Lessons 1–3
Tumbao and Clave
How to Play Tumbao in Clave
Why clave matters when you play tumbao: son vs. rumba clave, 2-3 vs. 3-2 direction, and simple ways to be deliberate about which side you're on.
How to Play a Two-Drum Tumbao
Adapt your one-drum tumbao to two drums: the pattern used in the up section of son-derived music, a sticking for faster tempos, and 2-3 vs. 3-2 clave.
Tumbadora on the Two Side of the Clave
Two-bar and four-bar two-drum tumbaos with the tumbadora on the 2-side, a muffled-tone variation, and an eight-bar phrase.
Part 2 · Lessons 4–8
Essential Tumbao Variations
Essential Tumbao Variations
Two simple variations centered around the downbeat of the 2-side of the clave, with sticking for faster tempos and when to use them.
Essential Tumbao Variations Part 2
One three-note figure, re-voiced three ways, for the up and down sections of an arrangement.
Essential Tumbao Variations Part 3
Three variations inspired by the "and" of 1, the second eighth note of the bar, for the up section of an arrangement.
Essential Tumbao Variations Part 4
A simple variation for the up or down section that works on either side of the clave, expanded over a Los Van Van-inspired loop.
Essential Tumbao Variations Part 5
One simple figure, displaced to start in different places in the bar, played over an Eddie Palmieri-inspired loop.
Practice them with the real thing
Every Quick-Tip has a suggested play-along from the CongaChops loop library, recorded with a real rhythm section. Members can play along with the whole library, plus a handpicked Spotify playlist for each course.
Part 3 · Lessons 9–10
Fast Tumbao
How to Play a Fast Tumbao
A simple way to play your tumbao at faster tempos: take out a few notes, adjust the sticking and add left-hand accented slaps, in 2-3 clave.
How to Play a Fast Tumbao on Two Congas
Add a second drum to the fast tumbao: two variations with the tumbadora on the 2-side of the clave, the sticking changes that help at faster tempos, and a four-bar phrase.
Part 4 · Lessons 11–13
Transitional Fills
How to Play a Transitional Fill on Congas
A simple figure played three ways: how a transitional fill helps move an arrangement up or down, and how intention and dynamics change its role.
Transitional Conga Fills Part 2
Three variations on the transitional fill, built by adding or taking away notes, plus how to use them with or without a timbale player and in 3-2 clave.
Transitional Conga Fills Part 3
Three more transitional fills for moving up from a down section, plus how to leave space for the timbale player and play them in 3-2 clave.
Part 5 · Lessons 14–18
Simple Fills
How to Play Three Simple Conga Fills
Three simple conga fills built only from eighth notes and open tones, to add intensity in the up sections of an arrangement, practiced over a loop in 2-3 clave.
How to Play Simple Conga Fills Part 2
Two simple conga fills for the up section: a shorter fill, then a longer one built from the same shape, practiced back to back over a loop in 2-3 clave.
How to Play Simple Conga Fills Part 3
Two simple two-bar conga fills built on quarter notes for the up section: ghost tones vs. space between the open tones, and a setup, tension and resolution structure for fills of your own.
How to Play Simple Conga Fills Part 4
Three simple conga fills based on eighth notes and muffled tones: building up to a downbeat, using them after a move to the up section, and taking notes out of a busier third fill.
Marc Quiñones Inspired Conga Fills
Two simple Marc Quiñones inspired conga fills for the up section, starting on the 2-side of the clave: a low-drum build-up of eighth notes, and a fill that mixes open and muffled tones.
Part 6 · Lessons 19–20
Simple Fills Using the Baqueteo
How to Play Simple Conga Fills Using the Baqueteo
Two simple conga fills set up with a baqueteo, a bar of palm-tip and closed slaps with no open tones, practiced as four-bar and eight-bar phrases in 2-3 clave.
How to Play Simple Conga Fills Using the Baqueteo Part 2
Three simple conga fills set up with a baqueteo variation that has more movement, practiced as four-bar and eight-bar phrases in 2-3 clave.
Quick Answers
Are these lessons free?
Yes. All twenty lessons are free to watch, and each one has its own page with the video and a written guide.
What level are they?
Intermediate. If you're new to congas, start with the free lessons under "New to congas? Start here" below.
Do I need to watch them in order?
It's the best way to go through them, since each lesson builds on the concepts from the one before.
Can I practice these with the loops from the videos?
Yes, with a membership. Each lesson has its own suggested loop in the library, and the 7-day free trial gives you access to all of them.
Go Deeper with CongaChops
These Quick-Tips are one small piece of what we cover on CongaChops, the online school where I teach congas step by step. Our foundation courses, Congas 101 and Conga Fundamentals, lay the groundwork for everything else.
- Congas, bongó and timbales
- 300+ step-by-step lessons
- 100+ practice loops
- Guided practice routines
- Exclusive guest artist masterclasses
- Members-only community forum