The bongos are a bright, high-pitched Cuban percussion instrument that can be played with the hands or with beaters. Bongos usually come in sets of two and work really well when combined with other percussion instruments like congas. One of the drums in a set of bongos is always a little bigger than the other, so while the smallest will have a diameter of around 20 centimetres, the bigger one will have a diameter of around 25 centimetres. The bongos are a big part of modern samba music and are also used by orchestral percussionists next to a snare drum.
Buying Bongos: What You Need to Know
If you're looking for a set of bongos, there are two things that you need to check: the shell material and the batter head material, since it's both of these things that will have the biggest influence over the sound. A wooden bongo has a really full and warm sound, while a fibreglass bongo will sound sharper and more resonant. When it comes to the batter head, you have two options: a traditional drum skin made from cowhide or a more modern skin made out of some kind of synthetic material. Cowhide has a softer feel, so is more comfortable when playing with your hands, while synthetic heads are cheaper, and in terms of sound, cowhide will often have a warmer tone than a synthetic head. Then there are the different bongo manufacturers. Latin Percussion and Meinl are the most well-known bongo makers, but if you're looking for more entry-level, budget-friendly bongos, then Stagg or Nino Percussion offer a great range. If you want the very best, professional bongos, then you'll get no better than brands like Gon Bops.
The History of the Bongos
The bongos first emerged in the east of Cuba and are directly inspired by West African percussion instruments like the congas, which you can see in the open base - a construction that's typical of the traditional drums from that region. In Cuba, bongos are essential to sol music, which slowly became popular all over the world and took the bongos with it.
Playing the Bongos
Traditionally, the bongos are played with the hands and fingers, but orchestral percussionists will often play them with a beater as well. If you're learning to play the bongos, the most important thing to get to grips with are the basic sounds. By hitting various parts of the instrument, you can generate different tones and timbres, and as soon as you've figured out how to play all of them, you can start playing complete beats. If you're playing by hand, then a classic, traditional technique is the eight stroke roll.
The Sound of the Bongos
Compared to similar instruments, the bongos produce a relatively high-pitched sound. This is because the shells are quite small and the batter head is tuned to a really high tension. The materials that both the shell and batter head are made of, and even the thickness of the shell, also have a big influence on the sound, so a wooden bongo will sound a bit fuller than a fibreglass bongo.
How Are Bongos Made?
Bongos are made of three main parts: the shell, the batter head and the hardware. The shell, which is the body of a bongo, can be made of wood or fibreglass. The batter head can be made of a synthetic material or, if it's a more traditional bongo, of cowhide. The hardware describes the metal hoop, screws, lugs and rods that hold the batter head on the shell.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bongos
How do you play the bongos?
The bongos can be played by striking various specific parts of the batter head with your hands and fingers. So you can get a higher pitched sound by striking the edge of the batter head, or a lower pitched, bass sound by striking the middle of the batter head.
Where does the bongo come from?
While no one can be certain of their origin, the first bongos we know of definitely emerged in the east of Cuba and the design was probably influenced by traditional African instruments like the djembe and conga.
How do bongos work?
When the batter head of a bongo drum is struck, it vibrates and these vibrations are amplified and projected by the shell to result in the sound of the instrument.
What's the difference between the bongos and the congas?
For a start, the congas are much bigger - not in terms of diameter, but in terms of depth. This already makes the sound so different that the conga is clearly an entirely unique instrument. Because of the much deeper shells, congas are also heavier than bongos, and while a set of two bongos will be secured together via some kind of frame, congas are often two or more separate drums that can be mounted onto a frame.
