How to Tune Bongos - Tutorial
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- Kalani shows you how to tune bongo drums. You will learn how to tune the bongs and avoid common bongo mistakes as Kalani shows you how to tune and get the best sound from your bongo drums. Always learn from experienced drummers and percussionists.
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Kalani is a Professional Percussionist, Orff-Schulwerk Certified Music Educator and Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC). He presents classes and workshops all over the world for people of all ages.
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All About Bongos: amzn.to/2JBeFxx
All About Jembe: amzn.to/2JAe67l
All About Hand Percussion: amzn.to/2EASxzI
West African Drum & Dance: amzn.to/2GQ5Y0w
Together in Rhythm: amzn.to/2JCDN7k
The Amazing Jamnasium: amzn.to/2GRQ89G
Recorders in Rhythm: amzn.to/2GS2SZV
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Play Ukulele: amzn.to/2JAnE2f
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Play Congas: amzn.to/2GSBPh2
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Just ordered some bongos man and these videos are easy to follow thank you !
You’re welcome
I am 83 and learning how to play the bongo drums I’m a grandma and great grandma
U r awesome
Hell yeah! Get it granny!
Wow! That's great. I hope I can get to the age let alone play the bongos.
I am 82. Good on you.
13 here, go for it!
"That's just life! Sometimes you have to use the other end of the wrench."
I lost it. Hilarious
I just got bongos. They are naturally low sounding but the screws were turned all the way; but when I turned the wrench already they are up an octave. And they sound perfect for the sound I want to produce. Thanks for this informative video
Thanks!
Super fun first lesson, when i got my set and it didn't sound proper i felt so discouraged. I thought the wrench was to set them into a special stand, but thanks to this lesson my babies are sounding proper. Thank you World drum club
I just bought some bongos and was so disappointed with the sound of the drums. So easy to fix it with your knowledge. Thanks this was really helpful 🙏
I love this guy! His instructions and silly commentary like the "backwards" wrench is great.
This video was super clutch. Thank you!
This is your 5th video on TH-cam about tuning bongos as far as I can see. I can hardly wait to watch the 6th! But thanks a lot for all the great work.
"don't let anyone tell you how to tune your bongos."
Thanks world drum club i found this video to be the most useful out of all the bongo tuning vids I've seen. i hear them Crack sometimes so I never really tuned them up high enough for salsa music until now. I can rest knowing it's normal for that to happen when tuning them.
I'm a bass and synth player who sometimes plays percussion and I just got into bongos. This video was super helpful! I owe you a beer
Awesome!! Just what I needed. Thanks!
Great channel. Metal/Rock guitarist of many years getting some percussion gear and havin’ fun. I will have more fun now thanks to you.
I just tuned my bongos and this trick really worked
ahahah the intro .... that feeling on unboxing disappointment
thats why i am here many thanks!
Thanks for the lesson. Love the bongos. Although my first love is R 'n' R such as Elvis, grew up watching films and loved those bongos creating suspense. My dad too, had Los Machucambos on Decca Phase 4 stereo. The sound was out of this world and the use of percussion rhythm was too great. Love your videos.
"Don't let anyone tell you how to tune your bongos"
So anyway here's how you tune your bongos
Lol
There are no rules until you break one.
If there are no rules what could we ignore
Hi Max the first sentence refers to how to tune to a note the second sentence refers to the methodology of tuning. Very helpful video!
Makes the mistake of taking an option as an order.
Salsa bongoseros often pay careful attention to tuninbg the Hembra (low) head slightly higher (some may choose lower) than the Conga drum and the Macho (high) head to a note slightly different from the clave (if any) so that there's melodic interplay that's emphasized well by that attention to that detail.
Listen to classic Fania, Ray Barretto, Sonora Ponceña, etc., and you will likely hear that as well as how the Hembra head of the timbales is often tuned inbetween the Conga and Tumba for further melodic/rhymic interplay and clarity.
just in time! my new bongos are scheduled to arrive this very morning. thanks. 🎵🎶
Thanks, you just let me have memories of my early childhood, when my father who is with God now, used to play bongos a lot. In fact bongos were the first drums I tried as a small child. I have my keyboard and a guitar on the side, Thinking to myself if it would still be practical to purchase bongos. I also heard the bongos are therapeutic, is that true?
Very interesting and informative and very useful
Thank you, I love the bongos. ✌️☺️
I love this! I ordered some bongos and this youtube creator is awesome and I will watch all the videos by him, thank you!
what the hell, ive been playing for a couple months and got pretty decent by teaching myself, never even realised this was a thing
Kalini thanks, and you're also very entertaining, now I head to your congo tuning video
My Tycoons tuned up nice and easy. Seems to be around a C or C sharp. Now I have a set of LP's to do. 👍
Thank you for these very useful explanations. Happy New Year. Be well.
Thank you so much my brother I'm trying to learn how to play the bongos Thank you for the information Love you my brother thank you
Great tutorial good sir.
Thanks very much. I do drum but have very little experience with Bongos. I picked up a set today cheap at a Boot Fair & this has really helped me get started 👍😁 🥁 🪘
Just ordered one of your tee-shirts! 👌🏼😎🥁🎶🎵
Thank you!
Tuning Bongos, you have to tune Bangos. My head is about to explode due to this new discovery and information. Surprisingly the outcome cured the explosion and healed heavenly now I'm happy. Maybe I should get bongos so I can play like Donkey Kong does on the Nintendo GameCube. Thank you so much.
Thanks for the guidance
I first twist the nuts up as far as I can by fingers only on both heads. Then, thinking of your wrench movements as minutes on a clock I then go around the lugs clockwise as shown here with a full '60 minutes' turn on each lug-nut. The next round is '30 minutes' on each. The following rounds are only '15 minutes' and as the end result gets near maybe even down to 10 or 5 'minutes'.
Check the level of your heads regularly as you tighten by looking at them side-on from two angles; Front-on and end-on.
I always tighten the Hembra first as that has less tension and always loosen the Macho first for the same reason. When de-tuning I do full '60 minute' turns to get the tension off as soon as posible.
Just my way and it works for me.
Thank you brother 😀
Straightforward and clear. Thanks
Thanks a lot
Good sir iam from India and follow you great job
Thank you
Thank you
"Do I tell you how to tune your bongos?" Will be my new saying for busy bodies and know-it-alls 😂
Excellent
Yeah, it sounds so much better now! Thank you so much
Thanks for sharing..
Great Show! Thanks a bunch!
When you nicely tune your macho and hit a note for the very first time.
SABOOOOR
"Listen to recordings". Salsa, Boleros, Bachata, etc.
Just tried this to my new bongos. Worked great and they sounded so much better. However, after about an hour, the macho drum head split and popped off with a loud bang 💥 Maybe a word about over tightening!
I am excited, Great Video :)
Nice for those that don't know how to tune bongos!
Thank u
Do I need to de tune my bongos when not in use?
Hi. I followed directions for tuning the drums one and a half turns of the wrench and the head split in pieces. 😢Paper thin material. Didn't look like Animial skin. Looked more like paper. Under warranty. So sent them back. Ordered a different set. See how it goes when they come.
Does anyone know how to reduce the ringing sound on the bongos? Seems to occur no matter how I try to tune them
Subscribed
I recently purchased the Meinl Journey series bongos. The macho is 6 1/2" and the hembre is 7 1/2". I followed along with this video and I achieved the same pitches as instructed. I was very happy and pleased with the results. Unfortunately, within a few days, I was in another room when I heard some crackling sounds. I never heard before. When I entered the room where my bongos were I noticed a split in the head of the macho drum along the rim side where I played. I'm not sure exactly what happened. I don't think I over tightened it. I'm now in the process of contacting the manufacturer in hopes of receiving a new replacement head. Do you have any suggestions or comments on my situation?
Great tutorial! Kalani, please, I got new bongos made of steel (the body). I realized the body of the macho drum is a little bit deformed (egg shape on the bottom). I think I made some mistake while turning. Does it affect the sound? I didn't notice anything differente. Should I get a new instrument? Thank you and greetings from Brazil
By "turning" I meant "tunning"
After tunning them, should i untune them after playing em?
Is there an app on the phone
To tune bongos or timbles or as many drums?
tnx
thank you so much. NOw I can tune my bongos
another way to tune them is you do half turns after they tight then flip the bongo around press down on the center of the head with 1 finger,once you do that tap the 4 corners with the wrench and see if they sound the same if 1 sounds off you know which to tune
Thanks! Useful!
I have a question. Do you reccommend to take off the head and reorient before tuning?
I sometimes rotate the heads a little to place the tension rods in a comfortable position.
3:50 Do not call 911 😂
And don't forget to use the box and the wrench so you don't strip you lugs especially as he said when it becomes harder to turn
I feel I have a different bongos or something cause I can't tune them to that high tones.
So can I tune the bongos on each side different or do they have to match???
Its up to you bro
i like about a 4th or 5th between each. Chat up a pianist or guitarist who can show you what I mean.
I followed your tutorial step by step, very carefully and tried to achieve a similar sound with my set of bongos. i started slow with the macho and didn't went as high as you with the pitch, because i was afraid to break the thing, but it just ripped the skin nevertheless and now its broken :( what did i do wrong? i just got them yesterday
If the head ripped, either it was old or faulty. Head’s shouldn’t break, unless they are super tight or something is off. Contact the seller and ask for a new head.
I read that Marlon Brando invented a bongo-tuning mechanism - not sure if anyone produces a set that uses it. Do you know of it?
Thanks for your valuable videos
love it
Why do I have to tune two of the lungs much lower to achieve the same tone/pitch on every side? Thank you.
Is my low drum suppose to ring a little when you hit it??
If you want it to then yes.
Do you recommend Meinl Bongo? Like HTB100wbm
I'm waiting for a set of Pearl Elite bongos right now, which are 7 in and 9 in. If I'm going to use a tuner, what would you suggest I tune them to?
Thanks.
can you repair a cracked bongo skin maybe fiberglass cloth and resin
Not recommended. Get a replacement head. Many are pre-fitted to major brand drums.
what if your "luggs" seem to be .... not equally tightened .... like there if one lugg has more turns than the otrher luggs? so how does one reposition the skin... do you recommend untightening the lugs so that that the drum skin becomes slackened then reposition? is too tight a thing?
i popped my bongo skin... thanks bro!
You can re-position the head, but you should soak it in water for a few minutes first (just the top).
You can order replacement heads. Skins break from time to time.
mine are pretty high but it's a bit too wet, it's got too much overtones
Sir where can I get and learn notes for bongos
Are those leather or cyntetic?
Leather
Is there a note name for each drum’s standard tuning that you could pick up on a Snark tuner? I’m hearing impaired and typically struggle with the tune of any instrument until I’ve been playing it for a year or so. I received a set of bongos for Christmas and would love to learn how to play.
Bongo tuning is subjective, but you can go by feel, get one drum where you like it, measure the pitch, then tune them a fourth apart.
Thank you! 6:10
How do you know thier turned I play guitar and use a tuner
Sound
Do u have cash app
Howie?
Ho seguito il tuo consiglio, ho rotto la pelle del macho. Grazie.
😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
Please log on to TH-cam and search bongos at your fingertips
I just ordered a LP bongo and the site said it’s a 9/32 lug. Does that sound right?
No, the tension rod nuts should be 13mm or 1/2”. Some may be 14mm, but that’s it.
7:14
I don't get why there isn't more talk about tuning to certain notes. It makes a lot more sense to tune drums to each other, like C and G as the high fifth. Using a tuner on your phone or whatever. Why would you just randomly decide that it sounds alright when they might not be in tune with each other?
@Nej Hirb You could absolutely do that, but most of the time it’s not necessary or at least not that important. If you feel more comfortable doing that then go ahead! But this video is principally for beginners and most of them don’t really know music theory so they just skip it to make it easier to u distance for them
Art is about feeling and I don't feel like using math and tunings apps
@@corncobjohnsonreal It's not only about feeling; there are many technical aspects to musical sounds. You do need to know a little about theory, unless you're a small child or just want to make noise. As the other reply mentioned, if you're a beginner then it doesn't really matter. But that approach will only take you so far.
For natural drum heads, is it recommended to detune after each play or practice session?
Yes I've seen this guy and others say detune when not using to extend the life of your heads.
Not a bad idea. Depends on how tight they are.
2:57 Safri Duo
Honestly my bongos made crack sounds so loud my neighbors heard them, I hadn't tuned them in over two years
Hey I’m pretty good
Half two turns?!
13 mm isn't the universal size, might've wanted to specify that.
It’s the most common by far. Some use 14mm, but 13 is common.
Don't let anybody tell you how to tune your bongos. I'm going to tell you how to tune your bongos. :)
Yeah, my ancient bongos can't be tuned I guess
What if you are tone-deaf?
Go by feel.
Peur de trop tendre et déchirer
my bongos dont have tuners
It's just a half inch wrench normally.