Вводный курс по конгам

Вводный курс по конгам

Ben F Jacoby Апрель 2001

Часть 1

• Introduction and basic technique (this page)
• rhythms and more intermediate material

Предисловие

Здесь представлены теория и практика, которые автор собрал у учителей и из различных источников, включая «покажи мнее пару фишек» от нескольких аутентичных кубинских музыкантов. Тем не менее, не будучи ни латиносом, ни выросшим в этой культуре, я не претендую на исключительную подлинность представленной информации. Это особенно касается фольклорных традиций, поскольку интересы автора в большей степени тяготеют к современной латинской танцевальной музыке.

Барабаны

Барабаны, на которых играют во время танца известны нам как конги, но действительное их название в испанском звучит как «тумбадора». В английском же… По-английски, в зависимости от размера, конги называют: «тумба» – самый…

Различные звуки конги

Бас.Бас – самый низкий звук, который вы можете извлечь из любого рассматриваемого барабана. Основное движение осуществляется так: вы удерживаете… В любом случае кожа конги достаточно крепкая и толстая, поэтому бас продолжает… Наклон и подъем:Очень важно для исполнителя понимать, что корпус конги образует резонансную камеру низкой частоты. В…

Рудименты

Хотя игра руками несколько отличается от пружинистого поведения палочек на туго натянутой коже малого барабана, все же многие топовые исполнители на… Дробь одиночными ударами:Наипростейший рудимент, представляющий самый… Длинные дроби:Следующий рудимент, подходящий для перкуссионной специфики, это рудимент №1, длинная дробь. Это дробь…

Introduction to the Conga Drum - Ben F Jacoby April 2001

Part 2

• Introduction and basic technique
• rhythms and more intermediate material (this page)

BOX NOTATION

B = Bass Note O = Open Tone M = Muff Note

TUMBAO

Tumbao is an even pattern of 1/8th notes played in a band on the bass and conga drum. Unlike some hand-drum traditions where a given name refers to a certain rhythm (usually associated with a certain dance or music), tumbao is a collection of different patterns all of a certain type. Typically, every 1/8 note is played in tumbao and there are usually no pauses as in other common rhythms. The arrangement of slaps, open notes, bass notes provide the rhythmic identity to a given tumbao while "touch" and heel-toe fill in the other beats producing the even sound. The pattern of open tones in particular tends to give identity to each different tumbao.

When a conga player [known in Spanish as a "conguero" (kohn-GAY-roh)] was added to dance orchestras in the 40s and 50s, they played tumbao on a single conga drum. Supposedly the first modern orchestra using a conga and bongos (about 1940) was a Cuban band leader named Arsenio Rodriguez. Of course the folk use of the Conga drums extends clear back to Africa. These original African drums were slightly smaller and rope tuned. The metal conga tuning hardware is a modern "improvement". The single drum tumbao was later expanded to 2 drums. Typically, what were played as bass notes on the single drum were moved to a lower pitched open note on a second conga drum. Then, congueros went to 3 drums to allow more melodic phrasing from the open tones. Today even 5 congas are seen (For example Raul Rekow of Santana plays 5 congas with the open tones tuned to an opening phrase of a popular latin tune he likes).

Tumbao is relatively modern springing from the time when congas were introduced into the orchestras in Cuba. In the United States the tumbao would be called the "groove". A "groove" is a term musicians use to refer to a repeated rhythmic figure that drives a song. The name comes from the days of old 78 RPM phonographs. At times the old records would become damaged and repeat a given groove over and over each time the record would go around. Hence the term came to describe similar repeated phrases in music.

Single Drum Tumbao:A common traditional single drum tumbao is given below in box notation. To modern players the pattern is rather old and boring, but nevertheless it is rather ubiquitous in conga playing. You hear it often in modern pop and rock (non-latin) music as percussionists have become more of a fixture in pop bands. Patterns for traditional tumbaos are for a single drum since early players used a single conga.

Basic tumbao. 3-2 or 2-3 clave. Also is called Marcha.

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

Note the left hand "touch" after the slaps. Below is a variation of the basic tumbao with double strong hand slaps. Here the "touch" in the weak hand is replaced by a slap in the strong hand.

H

T

S

S

H

T

O

O

H

T

S

S

H

T

O

O

When starting a tumbao the first note should always be a strong open tone on the high drum to help anchor and lock the rhythm.

O

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

 

O

T

S

S

H

T

O

O

H

T

S

S

H

T

O

O

While occasionally a tumbao starts with a "pickup" note such as a slap on beat "4", usually the pattern will start with the open note on "1" as shown. After the first measure the open note is replaced with the usual "heel" note. But even with a pickup note, the "heel" on note "1" is always replaced by an "open" for the starting measure. A bass note can be used instead of the touch after the beginning open tone for even further emphasis to kick off the tune.

Below are several variations of the basic single drum tumbao used in 2-3 Clave

H

T

S

T

H

T

S

O

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

S

 

H

T

S

T

H

T

H

O

H

T

S

T

H

O

H

O

 

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

S

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

Note that the variations revolve around the open tones at the end of each measure. Bass notes can also be used as variation substitutes. This is 2-3 clave.

 

H

T

S

T

H

T

B

O

H

T

S

T

B

O

B

O

A further modification using bass notes in 3-2 clave for a single drum is given below.

H

T

S

B

B

T

O

O

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

This is what is known as a Mambo or what is called today a "Salsa" tumbao. "Salsa" (SAHL-sah) is the Spanish word for sauce (usually a "hot" sauce) and the name came from a dance style in New York clubs which is basically the same as the older "mambo" although "salsa" does add some other dance styles into the pure mambo style. Thus, comes the name "sauce" implying a mix of ingredients. The word "Mambo" (MAHM-boh) refers to a repeating instrumental section of a song known as montuno and refers to the dance done in that section. It does not refer to a specific type of rhythm or song form. But, popularly it is used to refer to the kind of music one does the "mambo" dance to. It is alleged that the modern "mambo" dance from which salsa springs also originated in New York City when traditional rumba bands became influenced by the swing craze of the 40s.

Two Conga Tumbao:The single conga tumbao was expanded to two congas by such pioneers as Carlos "patato" Valdez, Mongo Saintamaria, Ray Romero and a number of others. The above mambo tumbao is easily transferred to double congas by simply changing the bass notes to open tones played on a second lower-tuned tumba.

Standard 3-2 clave Mambo 2-drum Tumbao

Conga

H

T

S

O

O

T

O

O

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

Tumba

In 2-3 clave the measures are reversed to keep the low drum played in the "3" portion of the clave. This form of Mambo tumbao is also played for cha cha cha and son montuno.

Standard 2-3 clave Mambo 2-drum Tumbao

Conga

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

H

T

S

O

O

T

O

O

Tumba

Or the first measure can just be repeated

Conga

H

T

S

O

O

T

O

O

H

T

S

O

O

T

O

O

Tumba

(Do not forget to replace the first "heel" with an Open tone on the high conga when starting!)

A "modern" version sometimes alternates between the bass notes of the older single drum tumbao and the low opens of the above pattern. This gives a bit more interest to the patterns.

It is probably clear, that players might wish to have more expression available than a standard tumbao that goes on forever. They might, for example, wish to step up the intensity of the tumbao for certain sections of a song. There are a number of variations to the mambo tumbao that can accomplish this.

For an increased intensity the "toe" after the first "heel" can be changed to a slap as seen below:

Conga

H

S

S

O

O

T

O

O

H

S

S

O

O

T

O

O

Tumba

With the more intense variations one typically starts and stops the tune with the basic tumbao. The increased tumbao is then used if required in an inner section of the song.

Another Mambo tumbao variation would be:

Conga

H

T

S

T

S

O

O

O

H

T

S

T

S

O

O

O

Tumba

A still more intense mambo tumbao variation is given below:

Conga

O

O

O

S

S

O

O

S

O

O

O

S

S

O

O

S

Tumba

While a discussion of clave is rather beyond what we are trying to do here we will mention in passing that in playing two congas, clave is usually defined by playing the low drum on the "3" side of clave. However, some of the intensification patterns are exceptions.

Cha Cha Cha:Another dance that is very popular in this country in the club scene and even in international ballroom dancing as well as the Latino dance scene is the Cuban dance known in English as the Cha Cha. The name of the dance in Spanish is the Cha Cha Cha. The name is said to come from the noise the slippers the Cuban dancers used to wear made on the dance floor when doing the dance. The music is characterized by quarter notes played on a cowbell (120 bpm) and it is important to remember that the "cha cha cha" comes on the beats "4 and 1" and not elsewhere as you may have heard American bands try to play it.

A common one-drum tumbao for Cha cha is shown below:

Conga

H

T

S

O

H

T

O

O

H

T

S

O

H

T

O

O

As mentioned above, the 2-3 basic mambo tumbao is also often played for cha cha.

Standard 2-3 clave Mambo 2-drum Tumbao played for Cha Cha

Conga

H

T

S

T

H

T

O

O

H

T

S

O

O

T

O

O

Tumba

Rumba:Another dance-form popular in American and European circles is known as Rumba. (ROOM-bah in Spanish) This is a bit confusing since folkloric rumba consists of three dance forms (which we will not cover here) not at all related to what would be called rumba in a nightclub or in ballroom dancing. That dance which has origins in the Latin dance craze of the 30s, which we will call American rumba, is related more to the lush Latin musical form with romantic lyrics known as bolero (boh-LEH-roh in Spanish). The bolero dance allegedly originated from a folk courting dance where the couple to be would pass their hands over each other's bodies without ever actually touching. (Properly chaperoned by the village old women to make sure no actual touching occurred!) The modern bolero dance still retains much of the romantic feel and movements of the original. American rumba is an off-shoot of bolero and also retains some of the slow romantic feel of bolero though American/international rumba is slightly faster than bolero. Thus, a rumba tumbao is really just a bolero tumbao played a bit faster. It should never be played so fast as to lose the romantic feel, however.

A standard bolero tumbao would be:

Conga

H

T

S

T

H

O

O

O

H

T

S

T

h

O

O

O

Tumba

I'm told that in the old days, congueros played the three open tones all with the strong hand, but one of the well known master conga players changed the traditional "sticking" to the above version, which is easier and more efficient to play. This version is now considered standard by modern players.

To illustrate the differences between a Tumbao pattern and the more traditional African based conga rhythms we will also give a Tumbao-like pattern below:

Tumbao-like traditional rumba rhythm

Conga

H

T

B

H

T

O

O

H

T

B

H

T

O

O

Now Compare that rhythm to a more African-like basic rumba low drum rhythm.

Basic rumba low drum rhythm

Conga

B

B

B

O

O

B

B

B

O

O

Finally compare to the underlying slow-quick-quick rhythm which defines American rumba dance movements.

Basic Rumba dance rhythm (as might be played on a drumset bass drum)

Conga

B

B

B

B

B

B

(Italic notes are accented)

Carlos "patato" Valdez who pioneered two congas in an orchestra also was one of the first to use three congas in a more melodic tumbao. A discussion of three or more conga tumbao is beyond what we are attempting to do here.

HOW MANY RHYTHMS?

But a hand-drum such as a conga has more than one sound and furthermore hand-drum patterns tend to be two measures long. Therefore if we take the… We are not saying that a drumset doesn't also have this same potential, but it… In the next section we will explore a few of those hand-drum possibilities

A FEW BASIC CONGA RHYTHMS

Basic Calypso Rhythm Conga O     O O   … Tumba

CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR CONGA DRUMS

To clean and preserve the rest of the drum typical wood and metal polish products work well. To restore used drums, automotive chrome cleaner works…

SHOULD YOU SHAKE A CONGUERO'S HAND?

Because of very dry air, such as found indoors in winter, your hands may have a tendency to split. It's as if your fingerprints split between the… And finally we must mention that there is this tradition that urinating on…