HOW MASTERS LIKE CANDIDO AND TATA TUNED THEIR CONGAS | Giovanni Hidalgo on The Power of Rhythm 

Tuning is extremely important. Some feel tuning is a personal thing. But! to in tune with the band is very important too🙏

Love talking drum tuning! The intervals Giovanni explains here are definitely the most widely used. Especially in standard 3 drum tuning, G#3, B3, and C#4. Or, I’ve heard him(and a TON of great congueros play that but down a half step on each= G3, Bb3, C4. This will play the main melody from “Manteca”, which is a nice little test for the intervals. Then, obviously like he said if you have fourth drum at F#3 or F(a perf. 5th below the Quinto). So, If the Quinto or high drum is tuned as Your Anchor pitch as I think of it, the lower drums will be a M2, P4, then P5 if a fourth drum is added.

This conversation is gold!

Amazing! So much history, and info, so quickly!

After learning TaKeTiNa I can't play without tuning my drums to clear harmonic intervals..... hearing the tones is such an important step to create sound especially with percussion instruments, developing awareness and intuitive structure.......

Thank you brother Maestro.

This is very interesting. I agree with Giovanni: it is rdiculous to have several tumbas all giving the same note. They must be tuned. The different notes used by the famous players are interesting. They all sound good. I have several jazz albums with tumbas: Lou Donaldson and others, some with Patato. The jazz sessions all use only two tumbas, Quinto and Conga, with the Quinto on 1 and two taps on the Conga on 4 as the basic pattern. I guess they don't want the tumbas to be too intrusive. The Blue Note guys usually write "Conga" (single) and they mis-spell shekere and Patato. Giovanni has a video with six tumbas. The video uses the Latin Percussion "Giovanni Galaxy" tumbas. There are four sizes: Requinto, Quinto, Conga and Tumbadora, so the two duplicates must be tuned to different notes. It would be interesting to know which notes are used. I wish Latin Percussion would make a Supertumba in the Galaxy style. That would give five notes. I might ask them to custom make one for me: they could use a Palladium one, without the hoops. All the other parts are standard Galaxy fittings, except the top and bottom rims, which could be made from the Palladium rims with a gold coat. Latin Percussion also makes an individual 9" tumba (WB series). I am going to order one soon and attach a mounting bracket to it to put it on one of my triple tumba stands. It is blonde. It could function as a "Requintito", pitched higher than the Requinto. All that would give six notes. Giovanni would sound great on such a set.

Giovanni, grande abraço querido mestres dos tambores. Nós conhecemos no Brasil e te dei um CD de regalo. Deus te abençoe e proteja com saúde para nós dar muito mais da sua música e da sua alegria de ser músico.

I use the intervals (on three drums) as sung by Coltrane, “A Love Supreme”. It has a perfect place between resolution/tension. intervals are far more important to me than the actual pitch.

The different weather changes are a "natural" tuning so you can enjoy different tones depending on the day.

Nice 🤙

Congas always have to be tuned because of thick cowhide/mule skins and usually only five to six tuning points/lugs per drum.Djembes stay in tune much better because goatskin holds tension better and the natural rope tuning system has anywhere from 25 to 40 vertical rope tuning points and a counter hoop cradle.The best solution for keeping congas in tune better is still quality synthetic heads.Drumset artists went through this transition and controversy back in the 1950's and 60's between the tone of calfskin and the practically of synthetic. Conga drum lug tuning systems are basically the same as drumset tuning systems,not enough lug/tuning points to keep tension on a thick natural hide head.

Dorelamido

I comment with all due respect to the master. He remindes me of yoda. He's so cute, "it's the ceeeenter!" Much love Gio! I pray your health is stable and you are flourishing in Christ Jesus!