How Do You Set Up A Conga Drum?
Congas are unusually tonal hand drums. In some styles of Latin music, they are actually tuned to notes, and several drums together can be tuned to play a musical interval. Because they have such a clear tone, congas must be tuned extremely precisely. Having your congas properly tuned is nearly as important in finding your musical sound as your technique. Loosen the drum head until it is slack when you are done playing. You should be able to actually pull the drum head away from the drum. This will stop the drum head from warping; warping can permanently harm the tuning. It will also extend the life of the head. Tune all the lugs up until there is no extra slack. The drum head should still be toneless, but you should not be able to pick it up. Tune all the lugs up the same tiny amount. In most congas, you want to do either an 8th or a 16th of a turn at a time. Go around in a circle, tuning the lugs in order. Play an open tone on the drum and listen to the tone. Determine if it rings out
