The Real Conga Book, including MP3-CD (audio examples and play-along pieces from chapter 4 Sounds & Technique for Congas) is the first publication by the Austrian live and studio percussionist Herwig Stieger, who works as an endorser for Meinl Percussion and Mehmet Istandbul cymbals. Through his many years working with non-European music and his numerous study visits to Turkey (Orient Percussion), Cuba (Havana and Santiago de Cuba, Latin Percussion) and West Africa (Benin and Burkina Faso, Afro Percussion), he has come into contact with the percussion instruments of the countries he has visited, as well as their joie de vivre and mentality, in an intense way. He wants to pass on these experiences to his pupils and promote their techniques, coordination, creativity and musicality.

This course book therefore presents a comprehensive teaching and playing material of the Latin American way of playing the conga, as well as of percussion instruments like the clave, djembe or timbales. In 10 chapters that build upon one another, the player will learn everything about notation (for the instruments like conga, djembe, shekere and timbales), rhythm, clave, cascara and cowbell patterns, and sounds and technique for the conga (e.g. open and muffled tones, slap and floating hands). However, the largest section of the book is dedicated to short exercises and pieces which lead to rhythmical independence.

The Afro-Bell pattern, the heel-top system and the floating hands triplets and grooves, the bembe and the abakua style are presented in this way. The various rumba clave forms are given plenty of space (in binary, 3/2 or triplets). Further chapters are dedicated to solo patterns (with binary and ternary combinations), traditional grooves and breaks and Cuban rhythms (e.g. tumboa, son, songo, rumba, cha-cha-cha, bolero and others). However, even modern grooves for the conga and tumba are presented. Many small ensemble pieces in the various chapters round off the exercises and allow this book to be used in group lessons as well.

The audio examples and play-along pieces recorded onto the CD convey the authentic sound and the joy of playing this musical style and are thereby a big help for pupils. Another particularity of this book is the fact that the author has explained the sounds and percussion techniques in a YouTube video. A list of CD and literature tips gives you the opportunity to delve further into the world of Latin American music.

CD Index

Preface

 

I Notation

Notation for Conga

Notation for Djembé

Notation for Shekeré

Notation for Timbales

 

II Rhythm

Notes & Rests

Independence and Coordination

Criminal Smooth

Playing Solos

Rhythm Patterns with Different Sounds

The Triplet

 

III Clave Cáscara Cowbell Patterns

The Clave Rhythm

Clave Rhythms

Clave, Cáscara, Cowbell Patterns

Patterns in 6/8 Time

Clave, Cáscara & Cowbell Patterns

 

IV Sounds and Technique for Congas

Open Tone

Open & Muffled Tones

Alternating Hand

Slap

Conga Sounds & Techniques

Floating Hands

Exercises for Heel Tip Technique (4/4 Time)

Floating Hand Technique for Two Congas

Floating Hands

(Conga & Tumba)

Let’s Groove Together

Rhythm Is It!

 

V Rhythmical Independence

6/8 Pattern

Afro Bell Pattern in 6/8 Time

Ostinato

Bembé Style

3/4

Abakuá Style

Free Rumba

Clave y Guaguancó

Samba (Brazil)

Patterns for Samba

Rumba Clave (binary)

Rumba Clave 3/2

Rumba Clave 3/2 «Son Clave»

Rumba Clave (ternary)

Son Clave 2/3 – Rhythmical Shifts

Rhythmical Shifts

Heel Tip System

Floating Hand Triplets

Floating Hand Grooves

Melodies for Conga and Tumba (ternary)

Floating Hand Grooves

Exercises

The Killer

Coordination Exercises

 

VI Solo Patterns

Solo Patterns … binary

Binary Combinations

Solo Patterns … ternary

Ternary Combinations

 

VII Traditional Grooves & Breaks

Traditional Breaks

 

VIII Cuban Rhythm

Tumbao

Latin Patterns

Son

Tumbao Conga Patterns

Tumbao Variations

Tumbao Rhythmical Shift

Tumbao Fills

Triplet Son Variations

Songo

Rumba Guaguancó

Rumba

Rumba Guaguancó

Havanna Style

Mozambique

New York version of a Mozambique

Traditional Rhythms

Cha-Cha-Cha

Bolero

Changüí

«Conga» & «Comparsa» (Cuba)

Pilón

Cha – Changüí – Conga – Pilón – Bomba

Pilón «Modern Style»

Timba

Afro/Cuban – 12/8 – 6/8 – 4/4

Bomba

 

IX Modern Grooves

Modern Triplet Grooves for Conga & Tumba

 

X Ensemble

Carneval

Calypso Touch

Five Latin Grooves for Percuss ion Ensemble

Modern Groove

 

CD Tips

References