Bongos
previous
next
Bongos are small drums from Latin America. They are usually played in pairs, with one drum larger than the other. To play the bongos, you can sit cross-legged on the ground with the two drums between your knees, or fit them on a stand. You can use your fingers and the flat of your hand to produce a wide variety of high-pitched, penetrating sounds. Bongos are widely used in film music and pop, and sometimes appear in the svmphony orchestra.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| High, but indefinite pitch, with the drums around four or five notes apart. |
| Material |
| Wooden bodies, with goatskin or plastic drum heads. |
| Size |
| Approximately 6-8 in (15-20 cm) in diameter, and 6 in (15 cm) deep. |
| Origins |
| The bongos that we know today originated in Cuba around 1900. They remain popular in Lalin American dance bands, rumba bands, and western rhythm bands. |
| Classification |
| Membranophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| Bongos are simply named after the sound that they make. |
