Tips for percussionists: the conga slide-effect

http://www.pabloboness.be/

Hi congaplayer, congalover, perhaps you already know how to produce this slide-effect? If not, here’s how to do it:
All it takes is you need to wet your fingertip a little bit - between two strokes, I quickly rub my finger over my tongue - I use my middlefinger, I put the thumb behind it for support, and then I slide it over the skin of the conga. It’s a matter of finding the right angle and the right pressure, and make sure your nail is cut short enough not to get in the way.
To get the best result, the skin of your instrument should not be too smooth, too slippery, which is sometimes the case with brandnew congas. But there’s a way to fix this. Take a piece of sandpaper - not too fine, let’s say an average grain thickness between 40-80 - and gently rub the skin of your conga in round circles until it feels a bit rougher. Now you’ll notice that it will go much easier to produce that nice pooewww-sound.
Pablo Boness