Playing

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Trevor Salloum, of Latin Percussion, Inc., demonstrates the proper way to hold the bongos for playing. © photo by Latin Percussion, Inc.—used by permission

The correct way to hold the bongos while playing them is between the knees while seated on a chair or stool. The hembra should be on the right if you’re right-handed. Another way to hold the drums is on a drum stand, where they can be combined with other drums or congas and even struck with drum sticks rather than just the hands.

A myriad of different sounds can be elicited from the two drums, depending on how and where on the head you strike them. A quick hammer-like stroke, where the fingers or thumb hit the drum head and quickly come off it, produces a sustained ringing tone. A stroke which strikes and remains on the drum head produces a shorter note. Hitting closer to the rim produces a higher note than hitting closer to the middle of the drum head.

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