I already found that site, but thatnks for posting the link so i odn't have to look for it again

The thing is both drums on a bongo have a different sound; a different tuning. I'm guessing it's a 5th (edit, I just read it's about a fourth) from one to another but I'm not sure. also I don't know how exactly they are supposed to sound so that's why I asked. I want to know the right tuning and how to 'get there'.

but I'll try to do this:

Quote:

Tighten the drum up gradually, but rather than listening for a particular pitch, go for a feel. Use your ears; listen carefully and critically.  The macho (male, or smaller) head will start to have a "pop" to it at one point, it sings, the tone seems to emerge effortlessly with a touch. (Note: Use caution if you're not sure. Heads are like strings, they will break if stretched to hard.) The hembra [female head] is approximately a forth below the macho, perhaps not quite as tight.

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chupucabras said:

I read somewhere that bongos are normally tuned an octave apart, but really, you can tune them to whatever interval you like. The way I do it is press lightly on the middle of the skin and tap about an inch in from each lug. You should hear a distinct tone if you do this, and the trick is to tune all of the lugs so they produce the same tone. It might take a bit of experimentation to get the best tones and intervals. If you hit the resonant frequency of the drum the overall tone will ring out longer, which may or may not be desireable.

Dan

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chupucabras said:

I read somewhere that bongos are normally tuned an octave apart, but really, you can tune them to whatever interval you like. The way I do it is press lightly on the middle of the skin and tap about an inch in from each lug. You should hear a distinct tone if you do this, and the trick is to tune all of the lugs so they produce the same tone. It might take a bit of experimentation to get the best tones and intervals. If you hit the resonant frequency of the drum the overall tone will ring out longer, which may or may not be desireable.

Dan

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