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Step 1
Purchase a conga. Latin Percussion makes excellent, professional quality instruments if you don't mind the additional expense. There are plenty of good, entry level congas as well. Try a few out and see what sounds good to you!
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Step 2
Purchase a video or a few lessons. Many of the basic sounds are hard to learn without actually seeing them. Watching someone demonstrate the proper way to play hand drums will eliminate the frustration of trying to figure it out by tone alone.
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Step 3
Learn the open tone. The open tone is the distinctive ringing sound that most people associate with conga drums. It is played by striking the edge of the drum with the pad of your hand, and letting your fingers bounce off the skin.
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Step 4
Learn the bass and muff tones. The bass tone is played by bouncing your palm off the middle of the drum. The muff, or mute, is played by striking the edge of the drum with your fingers and holding them down so that the drumhead doesn't ring out.
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Step 5
Learn the slap tone. The slap is the most difficult tone. It is played by cupping the hand while striking the edge of the drum to make a loud “pop.” The only way to learn to slap is to have someone show you.
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Step 6
Learn heel-finger. Heel-finger is a pattern used for keeping time in conga playing. To play it, you rock your hand back and forth, first striking the drum with the heel of your hand, then with your fingers. It is easy to do slowly, but difficult to do quickly enough to play fast songs.
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Step 7
Learn the tumbao. The tumbao is the most basic rhythm in conga playing. It is heard in the background of many popular songs, including “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones.
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Step 8
Hang out at drum circles. There are many different approaches to playing the conga, some orthodox and some modern. The best way to learn is to play with, listen to, and learn from drummers who are better than you. The best way to meet good conga drummers, other than hiring a teacher or moving to Cuba, is to find a drum circle.
