Latin Percussion Glossary2

Latin Percussion Glossary Bongos From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bongos are two small drums made of wood, metal, or composite materials, attached by a thick piece of wood. There is a layer of animal skin stretched across the top. Bongo drums produce high-pitched sounds, and should be held between the knees. They are traditionally played by striking the drumheads with the fingers, although some contemporary classical compositions require sticks or brushes. The two drums are of different size; the larger is called hembra (Spanish: female), and the smaller is called macho (Spanish: male). In Cuban music, bongos are usually played by the same musician as the cowbell (Spanish: cencerro). This musician is called a bongocero.

Congas From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The conga is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum of African origin, probably derived from the Congolese Makuta drums. Although ultimately derived from African drums made from hollowed logs, the Cuban conga is staved, like a barrel. These drums were probably made from salvaged barrels originally. They were used both in Afro-Caribbean religious music and as the principal instrument in Rumba. Congas are now very common in Latin music, including salsa music, as well as many other forms of American popular music. Modern congas have a staved wooden or fiberglass shell, and a screw-tensioned drumhead. They are usually played in sets of two to four with the fingers and palms of the hand. Typical congas stand approximately 75 cm from the bottom of the shell to the head. The drums may be played while seated. Alternatively, the drums may be mounted on a rack or stand to permit the player to play while standing.

Cowbell From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clapperless cowbells made of metal are an important element in Latin-American and go go music. These cowbells are struck with a stick - the tone being modulated by striking different parts of the bell and by damping with the hand holding the bell. In several parts of the world (notably in West Africa) pairs or trios of clapperless bells are joined in such a way that they can be struck separately or clashed together. The Brazilian name for these is "agogo" bells. Cylindrical wood blocks played in the same way are also called "agogo". In Cuban music the cowbell is called cencerro and often played by the same player as the bongos, which has led to bongo players being called bongocerros.

Maracas From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Maracas (sometimes called rhumba shakers) are simple percussion instruments (idiophones), usually played in pairs, consisting of a dried gourd shell (cuia - 'kOOya') or coconut shell filled with seeds or dried beans. They may also be made of leather, wood, or plastic. Often one maraca is pitched high and the other low. The instrument is of prehistoric American origin. The word maraca is thought to have come from the Tupi language of Brazil, where it is pronounced 'ma-ra-KAH'. Although a simple instrument, the method of playing the maracas is not obvious. The seeds must travel some distance before they hit the leather, wood, or plastic, so the player must anticipate the rhythm. Maracas are heard in many forms of Latin American music and are also used in pop and classical music. They are considered characteristic of the music of Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil. In rock and roll, they are probably most identified with Bo Diddley.

Afuche/Cabasa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Cabasa, originating from an instrument called afuche, is a percussion instrument that is constructed with loops of steel ball chain wrapped around a wide cylinder. The cylinder is fixed to a long, narrow wooden or plastic handle. It was originally of African origin, and constructed from dried oval- or pear-shaped gourds with beads strung on the outer surface. Modern manufacturers (LP, or Latin Percussion, Inc.) have built a more durable cabasa that they call an afuche-cabasa. It provides a metallic, rattling sound (Similar to the sound of a rattlesnake).

Shekere From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The shekere is a percussion instrument from Africa, consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd. Throughout the continent it is called different things, such as the lilolo, axatse (Ghana), and chequere. It is predominantly called shekere in Nigeria. The shekere is made from small gourds that grow on the ground. The shape of the gourd determines the sound of the instrument. A shekere is made by drying the gourd for several months then removing the pulp and seeds. After it is scrubbed, skillful bead work is added as well as color. The instrument is used for folkloric as well as some of the popular music.

Guiro From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The guiro is a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a wooden stick along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The guiro is commonly used in LatinAmerican music, and plays a key role in the typical cumbia rhythm section. Modern guiros are also made of metal, plastic or even fiberglass. The scraper is typically made with metal tines attached to small block of wood but may be made entirely of wood, metal, bamboo, shell, bone, ceramic or plastic. The size of the guiro can vary widely although it typically ranges from 25-35 cm long. A metal instrument from the Dominican Republic that is very similar to the guiro is called guira.

Timbales From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Timbales (or tymbales) are shallow cylindrical single-headed drums, similar to single-headed tom-toms, but usually much higher tuned. The shells are referred to as cáscara (the Spanish word for shell) which is also the name of a rhytmic pattern common in salsa music that is played on the shells of the timbales. The shells are usually made of metal but some manufacturers offer shells made of maple and other woods. The heads are light and tuned fairly high for their size. A musician who plays the timbales is called a timbalero. Timbales is also the French word for

timpani, thus the French refer to Afro-Cuban timbales as timbales latines. In fact, timbales were invented in the early 20th century as a more portable replacement for the standard timpani used in Afro-Cuban orchestras. Traditionally, a pair of timbales is mounted on a stand and played while standing. The sticks are light conventional drumsticks or timbale sticks which are similar to conventional sticks but have no shoulder or head and are thinner (i.e. they are straight rods of wood.) The head diameters range from 12" to 16" with a pair normally differing in size by one inch. Manufacturers have recently produced small timbales (usually called "timbalitos" or "mini timbales") with diameters of 6", 8" or 10"; usually they are sold as pairs and are mostly suitable for drummers. A small, fairly heavy salsa-type cymbal or a cowbell may be mounted slightly above and between the two timbales a little further from the player. Older players consider it bad taste to use both a cymbal and a cowbell, but younger players have abandoned this tradition, even incorporating timbales into larger percussion sets including drum kits. Skilled players strike the heads, rims, and shells in rapid succession to produce lively latin rhythms; likewise, it is common for timbales player to do so during purchase. Like many other drums, music shops may be understandably reluctant to let a browsing customer play the shells of timbales they have for sale.

Claves From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Claves is a percussion instrument (idiophone), consisting of a pair of short (about 20-30 cm), thick dowels. Normally they are made of wood but nowadays they are also made of fiberglass or plastics due to the longer durability of these materials. When struck they produce a bright clicking noise. Claves are sometimes hollow and carved in the middle to amplify the sound. Claves are very important in Afro-Cuban music, such as the Son and Salsa. They are often used to play a repeating rhythmic figure throughout a piece, known as the clave, of which there are several different variations, each used for different styles of music.