How to tune your congas
Congas, being percussive instruments, do not have to be tuned to any particular note in purely percussive settings. However, when playing with harmonic instruments, they may be tuned to specific notes. Generally congas are tuned using the open tone. But what notes do I tune to? This is a common question with no common answer. Each drum size has a tone, or pitch, at which it best resonates. Obviously, the tumba will be the lowest pitch, followed by the conga, then quinto. However, you can fine-tune these drums to specific pitches, or a specific key depending on the application.
The original drums were tuned by adjusting knots and tension ropes on the drumhead, or by careful heating of the head, where the drum-heads were tacked or nailed to the top of the shell. Modern congas use a screw-and-lug, tension head system which makes them easier to tune (or detune). In general, the particular note will depend on the make, model, and size of the conga drum. The drum should be tuned so that the bass tone resonates, the open tone rings, and the slaps pierce through the musical mix. If the tuning is too loose, the bass and slap tones will sound “flabby”, too tight, and the drums will sound unnatural and “pinched”.
Tuning Process
Start tuning with your lower drum, making sure all the nuts on the bottom of the tension hooks are loose, then finger tighten each of them until snug.
Using your conga wrench, begin at one lug and tighten one half turn, working your way in one direction (clockwise or counterclockwise).
Every two laps around, check the pitch by tapping on the head. Check to see if one side is pulling down the head more so than the other. This is especially important when dealing with natural skins, for they have inconsistencies (slightly thicker or thinner in one spot) that tend to favor a weaker point when tuning. Keep the heads balanced and even when tuning.
When you reach your desired pitch, your drum should sing and resonate loud and freely when struck. Be sure to tilt the conga off the floor when tuning the open note or the note may be found to be tuned sharp when you play later with the drum tilted (obviously only the drums you tilt when playing). While the open tone does change slightly as the bottom opening is obstructed or the drum is lifted, it does not change radically in pitch like the bass tone. This is why the open tone is used for tuning.
Repeat steps 1—4 for your next smaller drum. The common interval between pitches is a perfect fourth. You know Wagner’s Wedding March commonly titled, “Here Comes The Bride?” The pitch interval you sing starting on “here” to “comes” is a perfect fourth, or G to C on the piano. This interval relationship between the two congas is very common.
Do not forget to detune after you are done playing to save the life of your natural skins (reverse the steps, 4—1)! This is not necessary with synthetic, or plastic heads, however.
When playing two drums (conga and a tumba) a typical tuning would be an interval of a 4th (as in “here comes the bride”). And the conga is often tuned to a “C” and the tumba to a “G”. However this tuning may vary to fit the keys typical for the music being played. Also some dual conga players prefer an interval of a 3rd rather than a 4th.
Having three drums (typically the tumba, conga, and quinto) invites experimentation and individual customization. Some congueros like using the intervals of a major chord (e.g. F, A, C), some use the second inversion of a major chord (for example, G, C, E) and some prefer a major second between the quinto and conga, with a perfect 4th descending to the tumba. Raul Rekow of Santana often plays five conga drums and chooses to tune them to the opening phrase of a Latin tune he likes.
