Other than those percussionists wanting to specialise in hand drums, if any of you drummers out there are considering adding hand percussion to your set up then I’d strongly recommend bongos. They’re easily affordable, very portable and have a lot of possible applications be it with sticks or hands.

If you’re thinking about what drums to buy, I would strongly recommend that you spend at least £150. It’s simply not worth compromising because you’ll only lose out when you want to replace them with something better. Make sure you get a pair that has the proper four-bolt hoop–to-hoop tuning mechanism (IE. free-floating and with no lugs attached to the shell.)  You will also need to consider whether to go for Calf heads or synthetic heads.  For a number of reasons I choose the latter.

It is most common for the bongos to be played sitting down, although it’s perfectly admissible to stand-mount them. If we look at the picture below, we can see the way the drums are held between the legs. This really is a case of finding the most comfortable position.

Playing position sitting

When tuning the drums, the small drum should be cranked up as high as you dare whilst the larger drum should be tuned somewhat lower than this (personal preference).  I have come to prefer the Remo bongos with heads that you can leave tuned up when you have finished playing and rely on even in a very humid environment.

The high-pitched sound is articulated by striking with the tip of the finger for quieter playing or with the tips of all the fingers for louder playing. The fingers should strike as near the edge of the drum as possible and should create a very high pitched tone. The small drum should be cranked up as high as you dare. Try this simple single stroke pattern with both hands on the hi Bongo. R L R L R L R L  Try to make the strokes as even as possible and try a few different speeds.  (R = Right and L = Left)

Open tone hi bongo, Right hand single finger

Open tone hi bongo, Right hand all fingers

Open tone hi bongo, Left hand single finger

Open tone hi bongo, Left hand all fingers

Next we have the open tone on the larger drum. This is articulated with the first finger played slightly more towards the centre of the drum than on the small drum. This helps accentuate the bass tone by bringing out some of the lower harmonics. Experiment by hitting the bass drum near the edge as with the high drum and see how different the sound is. Again, it is possible to use all four fingers for louder situations, although I still prefer to stay with the single finger on the larger Bongo.

Open tone Lo bongo, Right hand one finger

Open tone lo bongo, Right hand all fingers

Now we’re going to look at the more intricate method of the Martillo technique utilising the left-hand finger tips and thumb to mute the sounds. The basis rhythm spans one bar of eighth notes. We need two new strokes for this rhythm.  These are the left hand finger tip stroke and the left hand thumb stroke.

Left hand finger tip stroke

Left hand thumb stroke

By using these strokes, different pitches can be created when the finger tip and thumb strokes are left on the head whilst striking with the other hand.

Muted strokes

To begin with, place the edge of the thumb flat on the head of the small bongo as in fig (a). The whole of the side of the thumb right up to its base should be in contact with the head and should apply a gentle degree of pressure. Notice the exact position of the hand on the head allowing room for the right hand to strike the drum without the thumb getting in the way.

Fig A

With the thumb in this position strike the small drum at the edge with the first finger of the right hand. Hit as near the edge as possible as in fig b. The sound should be sharp and almost woodblock-like. Experiment with the position of the thumb and vary the degree of pressure to find the sharpest sound possible.  This is the first beat of the bar.

Fig B  (Eighth note #1 of the bar)

The next stroke of the bar is played with the fingertips. Pivot the hand up from the first thumb position to create a cup-like hollow as the fingers strike the head. Only the tips of the fingers should strike and then remain in contact with the head. The sound should be muted with the fingers not bouncing off after impact.

Fig C  (Eighth note #2 of the bar)

The third stroke of the rhythm is with the right hand. With the left hand remaining in this position with the finger tips on the skin. This takes the high edge off the mute as the right hand strikes.

Fig D  (Eighth note #3 of the bar)

The fourth stroke of the rhythm sees the left hand thumb returning to the head with a sharp action. The thumb should remain in contact with the head after striking and not bounce off. The sound should be slightly sharper in tone than the left-hand fingertip stroke. The thumb should remain in position to create the mute for the next right-hand stroke.

Fig E  (Eighth note #4 of the bar)

The next 2 strokes of the rhythm are identical to the first 2 strokes of the rhythm.

Fig F  (Eighth note #5 of the bar)

Fig G  (Eighth note #6 of the bar)

The seventh stroke of the rhythm involves an open tone on the larger bongo with the right hand.

Fig H  (Eighth note #7 of the bar)

The final stroke of the rhythm sees the left-hand thumb returning to the head with a sharp action. The thumb should remain in contact with the head after striking and should not bounce off. The sound should be slightly sharper in tone than left-hand fingertip stroke.
 

Fig I  (Eighth note #8 of the bar)