Membranophones: Congas and Bongos

 

Conga Drums

The conga drum is frequently heard in Latin American music. It originated in Cuba. It is found in types of music such as merengue, salsa, and reggae. The conga is an example of a membranophone played with the hands. As musicians hit the center and outside edges of the conga, they can change the pitch and tone of the sounds.

Listen to a sample of the conga drums:

 

Bongo Drums

The bongo drums are a pair of two small drums, one larger than the other. Like the congas, bongos are played with the hands. A drummer may squeeze the bongos between his or her knees to support the drum as they play. The bongos also originated from Cuba and are often found in Afro-Cuban music and Latin American music. Can you tell which set of bongos is made out of natural materials found in the environment?

Listen to a sample of the bongo drums:

 

Photo(s) Attribution
Description: conga drums, modern bongos, natural bongos
Source: thinkstock

Audio Attribution
Description:Lower tuned conga samples
Source: Freesound - Satoration