Conga Lessons - Mongo Santamaria Riff in HD

(Select HD Quality) This is one of my favorite and most useful riffs from the Great Mongo Santamaria. Make sure you select the watch in HD (high definition) option to the lower right of the video. You can hear him use this on many classic albums.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• conga lesson
• flip
• guaguango
• kodak zi6 test
• mongo santamaria
• fania allstars

[HijoProdigio]

Hi, what is your setup? Quinto, Conga, Tumbadora? Thanks

[davemeyler]

@HijoProdigio - I use 2 congas and a tumba and tune about a 4th apart. That seems to be what a lot of salsa players do in order to get a deeper tone vs LP's small quinto sound. You can always tune a bigger drum up for the sound you are looking for. Listen to the highs Raul Rekow from Santana gets, he plays a LP conga (vs the quinto) for his main drum but cranks it way up. I got a lesson from him once and he is the one to gave me the tip.

[thewster1234]

Thanks for that - Mongo is the man and no mistake!

Can you break down what you are doing at 2:57 - it sounds amazing. Thanks again. Matthew

[davemeyler]

Thanks Matthew, I'll post a vid when I get a chance but basically it is triplet feel. Your lt hand does the heal toe and your rt hand can play open tones, muffs, slaps, base tone, etc

Here it is as one e and a two and a....and so on.

H = left hand heel

T = left hand toe (tip)

O = right hand open tone

S = right hand slap

B = right hand bass

LT HAND on top of drum 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a H T O H T S H T B H T S

I will try and post a vid later. Happy Drumming

[DiegoSon1200]

@davemeyler I just have a question. I keep looking online for conga lessons, but I only have one conga drum: the tumbadora. The videos I look at, the people have a full set. How can I learn?

[mendoza10]

@JohnnyConga I can say that he was my great drum god father.... having worked with Freddy Lugo, I was able to learn this from him. I can never repay you enough for how you helped me Johnny. Thank you man!

[JohnnyConga]

that is a guaguanco pattern played with the last two notes on the Conga..Mongo did that and nobody else did it before him...I know I knew Mongo and he was My drum Godfather...you play very well!...JC Johnny Conga

[portalcorinto]

Thanks for the video, I like your teaching style, I'm already (slowly) practicing the combo.

[blackcongaz]

thanx! love this one! :)

[PinoWw]

Thansk for sharing this one, what is the name of the rythem? Greets

[ranmas2004]

SWEET!!! I love that beat!!!!

[TheMrElambia]

Mongo is alive..Viva Cuba Cojone...la cuna de los Rumberos

[philmaravilha]

Sweet hands, man. Thanks for sharing that killer lick, I'm shedding it right now! RIP Mongo

[livingroomgroove]

Very Cool....I always wondered what he was doing..... thanks