Collection: Bongos

Bongos from Groove Masters Percussion, EMUS, REMO, MEINL and NINO, in tunable and fixed-head models.

Bongos are a pair of small drums joined at the shell, played with the fingers and palms rather than sticks. The smaller drum is the macho and the larger the hembra, and the interval between them is what gives bongos their conversational sound. They sit between the knees when played seated, or on a stand.

The tone is bright and cuts through a group easily, which is why bongos usually carry the higher rhythmic line while a djembe or a conga holds the low end underneath.

Lug-tuned models can be tightened with a key, so the pitch and the interval between the two drums can be set deliberately. Fixed-head models cannot be adjusted, and for a classroom set that is often the point.

REMO kids bongos and Rhythm Club bongos are scaled and weighted for younger players. The MEINL percussion pack pairs bongos with a few small hand percussion pieces. Also here is the Ohana bongolele, which is a concert-scale ukulele built on a twin bongo body rather than a percussion instrument.