Cuban master conguero Tata Güines is hailed as the godfather of modern conga playing. His crisp and unique sound, rhythmic vocabulary and technical innovations, as well as his prolific body of recorded work, have had an immeasurable impact, however direct or indirect, on every conga player over the past 70 years.

For the purposes of this article, let’s focus on how to tune the bongos in the more modern style that is synonymous with various styles of Son-derived music. So grab your wrench, and your ears, and let’s get to work.

Tuning timbales, like tuning any drum, is an oft-overlooked art form however. With proper tuning, the drums have an open, resonant quality that allows the timbale player to articulate the various stroke types and convey a clear musical message.

One of the first, and most important steps in learning to how to play congas, is learning how to tune them properly. Tuning a conga drum, like tuning any drum, is an oft-overlooked art form, despite the fact that it can be the difference between sounding like a seasoned conguero vs. sounding like a complete beginner.

The bongos are arguably one of the most widely-used instruments amongst the world of hand drums. Many people buy bongos as souvenirs, household art, or just to have something fun to jam out on. However, as those of us who play bongos know, the drum is a powerful and complex instrument with a rich history.

The timbales, of Afro-Cuban descent, have become a ubiquitous instrument in percussion set-ups used in nearly every kind of popular western music, from Salsa to Pop, Funk, and Rock’n’Roll.

Along with learning how to play the conga drums, or any instrument for that matter, it’s important to have a general idea about where those instruments come from, and how they’ve evolved over time.