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 - 'kOO-
ya') 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 Latin-
American 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.