Writing Music for Television and Radio Commercials (and more): A Manual for Composers and Students

Arranging and Orchestration Concepts !! 111

Example 6-14 Chimes range: staff indicates where the parts are written.

Latin Percussion

The most popular Latin percussive instruments are the conga drums,
bongo drums, cowbells, go-go bells, and all types of shakers, guiro, tim-
bales, claves, and maracas. Most Latin percussion originated in Africa.
Afro-Cuban music developed from the rhythms of Africa and are the
rhythms most often heard in popular music.
If an assignment specifies that the music should be composed in a spe-
cific Latin style, hire instrumentalists who are familiar with the music of
that country (region). Every country and/or region has endemic instru-
ments and musical traditions. Hiring a Cuban percussionist to play Mexi-
can music would be analogous to hiring a rock-and-roll guitar player to
perform a jazz solo. You cannot put a round peg in a square hole!
In commercial music, percussion players specialize in percussion
styles and are usually not traditional drummers who also play drum kits
and/or mallets. Orchestral percussion players are trained to play all
orchestral percussion. We will concentrate on the most popular percus-
sion.

Congas

Most conga players use two drums: a high-pitched drum and a low-
pitched drum. Some use three or four drums, each with a different tuning.
The drums are tuned by either tightening or loosening the drumheads.
They are generally played with both hands.

!!The Conga set (a.k.a.

congas) is comprised of the

quinto, the highest-pitched

drum; thecongaorseg-

undo, the middle-sized

drum; and thetumbadora,

the lowest-sounding drum.

Congas have been a staple in both
Latin and popular music for many years.
Awell-playedcongapartfitsperfectly
with the rest of the rhythm section.
In Caribbean-Latin music, there is a
variety of percussion, each playing in a
traditional style. The percussion section
must work as a unit. Conga players create
a solid rhythmic foundation for the other
percussionists. They have an excellent sense of time and technique.
Some conga players and percussionists specialize in playing rhythm
and blues. It is a unique style of playing that has its roots in traditional
Latin rhythms. (Latin rhythms emanate from African rhythms.)