Congas are tall-and-narrow, single-skin drums that originate in Cuba. First built at the end of the 19th century, the conga features a deep shell that's open on the bottom but comes fitted with a batter head on top. Most congas are played as a pair, with the most common sizes being 11" and 12" diameter models. Over the past few decades, the instrument has become more and more popular in Western music.
The Many Names of the Conga
Congas are membranophones, which means they're a kind of percussion instrument with a drum skin that is struck to produce sound, just like bongos. Also, while the instrument is generally referred to as a conga, it actually has a different name depending on its size:
- Supertumba: The biggest kind of conga you'll find with a skin diameter of more than 12.5 inches.
- Tumba: This type of conga measures between 12 and 12.5 inches in diameter.
- Conga: The most common kind of conga, sized between 11.5 and 12 inches.
- Quinto: The quinto is another step-down in size and will always come fitted with an 11-inch skin.
- Requinto: All congas between 9.5 and 11 inches in size are technically called requintos.
- Ricardo: The sm
