The way I do it is press lightly on the middle of the skin and tap about an inch in from each lug. Tuning. I'm not the best at detecting a note myself and have to rely on a tuner most the time (still learning), but I'm finding ⦠In fact, they have no hardware whatsoever and the only way to tune them was to hold them over a ⦠Tip: There are a many enjoyable tuning combinations for congas, bongos & other hand drums. These drums are more authentic in their construction, with the head of the drum affixed to the base by smaller metal rings around the rim, and then attached securely to ⦠Many people are used to seeing bongos that donât require tuning, but bongos, like all drums, come in a variety of quality, styles, and playing levels. What is an interval? An interval is the distance between notes. So, play around and enjoy the sounds! Rope-tuned Djembes require more time and skill to tune than key-tuned Djembes. From my own personal experience, I have a pair of LP Aspire Bongos (hey⦠donât judge) with authentic animal skins that Iâve had for 13 years, and I have never had to oil these bongo drumheads. As with congas and bongos, tuning timbales is a life long discipline. And after detuning to release the stress on the heads after playing, I can't seem to get them back into tune. Tune congas and bongos in a circular movement around the head. 2. Hey! When tuning bongo drums, they should be pitched as close to an octave apart as possible. Number one, there is no set tuning for the bongos. That also illustrates that if you donât play your bongo drums often that the drumheads can last a long time. Q: Should I use interval tuning for my conga set? I'm new to this forum, also am I new to playing percussion. You should hear a distinct tone if you do this, and the trick is to tune all of the lugs so they produce the same tone. 1. 3. Tune each lug to the same pitch so the drum is in tune with itself. The âno-rimâ bongo is what the very first bongos looked like. It doesnât matter if you go clockwise or counter-clockwise, as long as you continue in the same direction as you started. The sound should be crisp, and the drums should really "sing" when you tap them. I have recently bought a pair of Meinl Headliner bongos (pictured below). He has over five years experience as a professional writer and has been published on various online outlets. You probably know most of this since you have already mentioned that they don't sound right to you. Jan 5, 2021 - Explains the history of the bongo drum and how it is maintained and tuned⦠Your drums will need to be tuned, as they do not come pre-tuned from the factory. tâs definitely worth taking the time to learn to tune properly as it makes a world of difference on the bandstand and in the studio. I read somewhere that bongos are normally tuned an octave apart, but really, you can tune them to whatever interval you like. The smallest interval in Western music is a 1/2 step. Writer Bio. ð Toca Bongos come with high-grade bison skin heads matched in thickness to the size of each drum. The article mentions about being careful when tuning, which is correct. That way, you won't accidentally tune them too high and break the skin. Isaiah David is a freelance writer and musician living in Portland, Ore. Bongo drums or bongos are popular drums used in the playing of Latin American music. Ask them how high to tune your bongos. Again, learn to listen to and recognize the sounds. The regular bongos (with 2 rims) Take the first model, for instance⦠âNo-rimâ Bongos.