Djembe vs Congas?

Davedrumz

Junior Member
Hi, I am a long time drummer who recently has had a rekindling interest in buying some hand drums to fool around with. I like djembes but I also like congas and bongo's. Any body have any thoughts re if I chose just one, which would yield a better return on percussion enjoyment? Thanks my brothers
 
I'd go with the djembe myself. More compact, easier to lug around and more likely to be dragged out for the impromptu jam session when everyone has had too much to drink and a sing-along ensues.

I used to play congas with an acoustic duo.....only stopped when one of the guitarists brought along a djembe and I decided I liked it better. I'm no master of hand percussion, so take it with a grain of salt, but I could always pull more sounds out of a djembe.....add that to less to carry, and the decision was a no brainer.
 
Strapping a djembe on your back and hiking up a steep hill to rock in the dark is something I would find difficult with a pair of good congas. Besides the portability aspect of a djembe, I find that the deep bass notes and higher slap sounds are easier to sort of simulate a drum set with.

That said, congas are f'n fun. As others have mentioned, they really go well in Latin styles and beats. Almost crucial to the songs feel in some cases.

All depends what you want to play!

Side note: BOTH
 
Timely subject for me - I just got this yesterday. Get a chance to show it off now - LOL.

I haven't been able to keep my hands off it, and they're getting a little sore. I'm not really a conga player - just a dabbler.

Bought a full size conga and returned it. This one meets my requirements, and while it's the larger one, the tumba, it's still a lot lighter, and takes up a lot less space than a full size conga. I show it on a snare stand, but you can play it on your lap too. They advertise that you can carry it in a backpack. But while the playable head surface on this one is 12.5 inches, when you measure it at the widest area of the rim, including the bolt mount, it's close to 16 inches.

LP makes a similar one, and while they're both a little light on the deeper bass sound, I've tried them both and prefer the Pearl.
I've also got a set of bongos, so between these three, I can get what I'm after.
Never had a djembe, but I wouldn't mind picking one up some day.



.
 
Last edited:
Okay, if portability or space is a major factor, then djembe for sure. Maybe some of those portable congas, but I've never played on a set that rivaled the "woomph" of a nicely-tuned tumba. If we're talking about the sake of purely "percussion enjoyment", I'd still vote for congas.

For the record, congas are still a "one trip from the car" ordeal for me, 'cause I've got some nice bags for them.
 
Okay, if portability or space is a major factor, then djembe for sure. Maybe some of those portable congas, but I've never played on a set that rivaled the "woomph" of a nicely-tuned tumba. If we're talking about the sake of purely "percussion enjoyment", I'd still vote for congas.

For the record, congas are still a "one trip from the car" ordeal for me, 'cause I've got some nice bags for them.


Absolutely - there's a trade-off with the portable congas. You get lighter and smaller in exchange for a less deep sound.

Still - the one I've got sounds surprisingly good. And it's a ton of fun to play, for sure. For the OP - if you have any interest or curiosity about these, there's some videos on the site to get an idea of the sounds you can get from them: http://www.pearldrum.com/Products/Percussion/congas-and-bata/travel-congas.aspx
I'm sure LP has similar stuff.

Some djembes I've tried have a truly deep sound to them, but I know nothing of the playing technique.
 
Years ago I had congas for quite some time and loved them. Last year I purchased both
a djembe and conga practice pad and used them both with my small drum set on gigs. I have
taken to the djembe alone to jams and had a ball. Hard choice though...both the djembe and
conga have merits.
 
Djembe's are lots of fun and if you learn the proper technique you can get many sounds from them. Congas are also tons of fun and can produce sounds you really can't duplicate with a Djembe. Play both and see which speaks to you.
 
Hi, I am a long time drummer who recently has had a rekindling interest in buying some hand drums to fool around with. I like djembes but I also like congas and bongo's. Any body have any thoughts re if I chose just one, which would yield a better return on percussion enjoyment? Thanks my brothers

I find congas easier to play but they take up more space and require more set up. I like the sound of congas better too. But it depends on what style of music and what sound you are looking for. I also bought a cajon recently to mess around with. Great purchase! I would encourage you to look into those as well.
 
I just watched a few videos on djembe technique, and unless I'm missing something, it looks identical to congas.
So I'm probably going to give one a try soon.
 
have played both (although djembe alot more than Congas) and I would say they are very different in sound and playing technique, i prefer Djembe to congas but thats probably only because I play them more regularly
 
I just watched a few videos on djembe technique, and unless I'm missing something, it looks identical to congas.
So I'm probably going to give one a try soon.

have played both (although djembe alot more than Congas) and I would say they are very different in sound and playing technique, i prefer Djembe to congas but thats probably only because I play them more regularly

Yeah, they are definitely very different drums in terms of technique and sound. In my opinion congas are far more versatile in terms of playing along with contemporary bands. Unless you know how to get the right sound out of a djembe, and apply some kind of vocabulary, they usually sound out of place at best, or terrible at worst.

If you have a djembe that you think sounds like a conga, or vice versa, then you have poorly built or poorly tuned instruments.
 
I play both. The djembe has the advantage of portability and informality and it's much easier to learn than congas. Any instrument requires dedication but the congas require more study and practice to get the techniques down.

Congas have a much more melodic sound but I think the djembe's sound can be shaped to mimic components of the drum set, like bass and snare. If I had to pick one or the other, I'd choose the congas first, but get a djembe when you get the chance.
 
For instance, with Djembe you generally only hit the drum with one hand at a time where as with Congos you often use two hands to change sounds you make.
 
Back
Top