Desi Arnez is likely the reason why the Afro-Cuban tumbadora is called a “conga.” He popularized the conga drums through song titles based on the dance of the same name. But it’s more than just a drum or a dance.
The conga has become one of the most significant instruments to cross musical genres. It excites so many drummers both professional and novice alike.
Conga drums are a single-headed barrel-shaped drum developed in Cuba from West African drums brought to the Caribbean during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The drum shells are made of either wood or fiberglass, and the heads are either made from an animal hide or synthetic materials.
The conga drum diameters are different, depending on the type of drum. The following include the standard drum diameters as well as a few of the common entry-level drum diameters.
Standard Intermediate to Advanced Diameters
- Conga (11 ¾”)
- Tumba (12 ½”)
- Quinto (11”)
- Requinto (9 ¾”)
Common Beginner / Novice Diameters
- Hi Conga (10”)
- Low Conga (11”)
- Low Conga (12”)
By design, conga drums are sturdy in construction regardless of the level of quality. But you will find that the more expensive drums are built to handle the added stress that stronger players and frequent transport inflict on conga drums.
Conga Drums
Different levels of quality come with a difference in price, of course. Luckily, there are several levels of quality for players to match their needs.
Before purchasing conga drums, consider your aspirations as a player. For example, are you a beginner who is likely to play these drums professionally? Or, are you not concerned with how fast you advance and just want to enjoy playing at parties and with good company?
The following sections include conga drum suggestions for beginner, intermediate, and advanced players. It also provides a few things to consider when making purchases.
Beginner
The LP Aspire series is an excellent set of drums for a beginner or novice player who loves to jam with friends and play at parties or the occasional bar gig. The featured set on this post includes 10- and 11-inch drums as well as a stand that can hold both drums.
If you’re looking for larger drums, some of the options in the following sections might be better.
Latin Percussion Aspire Wood Conga Set – 10/11 inch Natural
Intermediate
The Meinl Headliner series is a step up from the LP Aspire (similar to the City series). The conga drums shown in the kit are 10- and 12-inch drums that come with basket stands, the same one I use from my LP drums. These drums are twice as much money as the entry-level LP models but still almost half as much as pro-level conga drums.
Meinl Percussion Headliner Series Conga Set with Basket Stands – 11/12 inch Natural
If you want a level up from the Meinl Headliners, check out the LP Uptown Series. These drums are closer in quality to the LP Classics or Meinl Artist Series and come in standard professional level sizes.
Quinto, Uptown, Sculpted Ash, 11″
Other sizes available at Sweetwater.
Advanced
The top brands for conga drums are Latin Percussion and Meinl. Pearl and Toca make great drums, too, but I am most comfortable recommending LP and Meinl. Each brand has a wide range of models to accommodate different levels of players.
The advanced LP models include the Classic series as well as the LP Galaxy Giovanni series. Both of these models are excellent choices for professional drummers and aspiring pros alike.
Latin Percussion Matador Wood Conga – 11.75 inch Natural
Other sizes available at Sweetwater.
Conga Stands
Drums on the ground will work, but the sound is significantly hindered. This is especially true for the entry-level drums because they don’t move as much air with their smaller diameter heads.
If you get the drums off the ground, even just a little, the sound projection is significant. This can be accomplished by mounting the drums to a stand, inserting them into baskets, or placing them on plates.
The following explains the benefits of each of these methods.
Stand
The lighter weight conga drum will do better on the lighter weight stands. This includes the LP Aspire or City series. The LP Performer series is lighter than the advanced models yet still heavier than the beginner drums. A heavier drum will require a heavier stand.
Gibraltar 9517 Double Conga Stand
Some of the heavier duty stands can handle the higher quality heavier drums, but those stands are not cheap. You’ll need the LP stand with the wheels (LP290B), which is shown with the advanced drum gear (above).
Baskets
The baskets are a great way to get the conga drum off the floor. They are stable and make it easy to place the drums exactly where you want them. The one shown below is best value I’ve found. Those stands are adjustable to accommodate almost any conga drum and fold up easy for transport or storage.
Matador Custom Conga Basket Stand
Plates
Plates for under the drums are great to have on hand if you are playing with the drums on carpet and other absorbent floorings.
Meinl Percussion Conga Sound Plate – Siam Oak
Rubber Feet
Latin Percussion makes rubber feet that will receive the bottom of each drum. This is a reasonable alternative to low baskets seated players or plates.
LP Rubber Conga Feet
Conga Drum Heads
Drum heads come in two options: real skins or synthetic heads. The choice of real or fake will largely depend on preference or the settings where you will be playing conga drums.
Regardless of which heads you want to use, it’s important to make sure the heads fit your drums. This article includes more guidance on how to measure your drums and what heads are available from the top brands.
Real Skins
Animal hide offers a meatier sound from your heel and toe stroke marcha sounds with excellent tone from slaps and open tones. The weather impact on the tuning is the only drawback with real skins. It’s harder to maintain the tuning when the moisture in the air fluctuates or becomes too concentrated.
Synthetic Head
Fake heads are obviously real, but they simulate the animal skins by design. The nice thing about synthetic heads is the lack of effect the moisture has on the tuning.
Related: “Good Sounds on Congas – Developing 5 Basic Techniques”
Cases and Bags for Conga Drums
Cases for congas come in a wide range of options. You can get a hardshell case or a soft bag, with several variations on support and padding. Some bags and cases even come with wheels.
I like the bags because it’s enough protection for congas traveling by truck or car. Conga drums are sturdy construction and will stand up to a lot as long as they are not abused.
Gator GP-CONGA-W – 29×17 Padded Conga Bag w/Adj. Strap
Best Microphones for Conga Drums
Microphone choices for congas, like anything, depends on the room and what you have available. I like to use close dynamic mics because they pick up everything the drum produces without much bleed from nearby instruments.
I use either a Shure SM57 or Sennheiser e604 microphones on my conga drums. The e604s are mics I usually have for toms, but they work just as well on congas. They are my choice over 57s because they are easy to EQ. In fact, I very rarely have to make any EQ adjustments.
Shure SM57
Sennheiser e604
Final Thoughts
Cong drums are my favorite instrument. They are such a great way to connect with a drum — with your hand. The sounds you can get and the groove possibilities never disappoint.
The nice thing about the drums I’ve shared today is the ability to get into conga drumming at a low price point, yet the pro level drums aren’t too far away. A pro level set of drums could be $2000 for the best set you can get. The best drum set is easily four times that with cymbals.
So, whether you’re playing with friends at a backyard party or recording pro tracks, conga drums are a great way to establish a solid groove that any tune can jump on.