Soon as I saw the thumbnail photo, I thought: he's doing a Tata video! Funny how just a hand position can reveal an artist's identity.

I really want to thank you for doing all of these tutorials. It is one thing to play an instrument, but it is another to take the time and effort to teach others to play. I started playing congas about a year and a half ago. I will be 80 in July. I get such great enjoyment out of playing along with a number of Latin Albums. I have no idea what I am doing and obviously, I will never be a professional conga player. But the joy I feel when playing is good enough for me. I watch your tutorials all the time and try my best to imitate what you are doing. I succeed sometimes and fail at other times. But I just keep playing and see what kinds of rhythms I am able to do. Anyway, God bless you my friend for making these videos for folks like me. You serve to keep me young and active at something I truly love.

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

Robert Armstrong wow!!! Really appreciate those words! They encourage me to continue doing this. Really happy to hear that the videos are benefiting you in some way.

@Bobba7438

6 жыл бұрын

You deserve the praise not only for your talent, but for your willingness to teach others to understand the many rhythms and how to play them. I studied JiuJitsu with the famous Gracie brothers for 71/2 years. They use the same teaching methods as you ie: Do the technique slow to get it perfect then gradually speed up and continue until you reach your full speed. It causes muscle memory to develop and ingrains it much more thoroughly in the brain and nervous system so that even if not played for quite awhile, the technique will come right back when you need it. I want to encourage you to keep making these wonderful videos. You may never know how many people you have encouraged and nurtured but you can be sure there will be a number of them out there. There will be people like me who live in a small town and there are no teachers available to teach. So watching your tutorials are a blessing. Thank you again. God bless you!

“Eso fue tata”😂 great video bro, making me a better a percussionist everyday. Thank you🙏🏼

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

haha thank you!

Its Tutorial Monday! And what a Tutorial! That 1 note skip really change everything. From a simple Tumbao its sounds more like a 2 Bar Melodic Phrase. Thank U Sir!

I am amazed by tata & his style. Thank you for this for I love his style & can add my own style to his. Gotta love him!

You did a great job, and thanks for the history!!!

Keep up the good work I’m very impressed

Thank You My Brother. Keep Up The Good Work. God Bless

Great video!

i really appreciate your historical tutorials! so important to know where the things are coming from! keep on on your way!

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

hello i m french good videos about congas.giovanni hidalgo has got the same nails as tata guines. Good story telling about congas love it ;))

Thank you for a better understanding of the teachque

I like this Tumbao! It puts the emphasis on the one (down beat) in the first measure, which is important when you play in a group with no other percussionists involved.

Gracias por compartir maestro.

I like how you did the back grown video you did....thanks

Thank you for enlightening me first thing this morning. Now I can go on and face my day with a smile. Amazing how such subtle and perhaps simple touch can make something we all do on 's very own. Thanks for the history too. Oh, videography pretty nice. Tata!!!

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

jose goicuria thanks man! Really appreciate it!

Freaking awesome 👍👏💪

You are great

bravo ..eres bravo saludos desde Italia

After seeing your instructional video I carefully checked Tata's tumbao and while there is a real accentuating emphasis on that one with that palm bass tone with his left hand there is a "toe" (left hand finger tip) but it is pianissimo (almost close to a ghost note) but it is nevertheless a visibly pronounced stroke. The other very prominent and unique feature of finishing his marcha playing the two pronounced slaps ( one very slightly more accentuated than the other) on the edge of the Tres Golpe drum is very evident. Thank you for sharing and keeping us on our toes with the tradition set before us to learn! In Him, Tony

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

Tony Lopez hahaha I was just talking about this with Ramses Amaya! Haha that was my fault and not explaining That I was going off the Tumbaos he would do in some of his recordings and not the one featured in the video... that was my bad! The two slaps he does before going to his Tumba is also another amazing Tumbao he does!

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

Tony Lopez but glad that you were able to point that out!!! Thanks again bro!

@tonylopez2201

6 жыл бұрын

You do such a phenomenal job, have such a blessed niche and following that you're to be commended for your contributions regardless of any detail that may be omitted!

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Tony!

Hola Erick están buenísimos los videos..!! Me gustaría en castellano el de tata guines y el de Luis conte.. abrazos desde La Plata, Agentina..

Love you Bro

Eric! Much love from Fajardo, PR. I love your videos bro. God bless. I was noticing that Tata does use fingers in the beginning of his tumbao but he does it in an almost ghost like fashion. Don't get me wrong, your interpretation of Tata is NASTY good since it's clean and it has a great feeling to it. I think Tata is covering all eighth note subdivisions of the tumbao inside a bar of 4/4. Please let me know what you think. Take care. -Abi

Hey Eric...great video..have you seen the video with Tata and Zakir Hussain....it is insane...huge fan of Zakir, one of the worlds best percussionist's. Many Thanks

I noticed when you play the tip you lift your palm as opposed to keeping the palm on the skin and and raising and lowering the tips (four fingers) for the sound. Which do you consider better technique?

Hey Man ! After see a lot of your videos, I just realized, you are fucking GENIUS !!! Young Master

What is the connection with Tata & Chano Pozo? Are there any songs where they played together?

Esto esta chevere gracias dont forget mr tumbao eddie montalvo

Saludos maestro, por favor que sea en español, sería excelente y gracias ..👍🏾👍🏾🎶🎵

Eso fue Tata ¡ Eric, nos quedas debiendo el verdadero nombre de Tara Güines, maestro de maestros.

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

Hahahaha algún dia lo dire haha

@masuro49

6 жыл бұрын

A Percussion Life. Here you go brother. Internet, best information source in the modern world. Credit to Wikipedia of course. Tata Güines, born Federico Arístides Soto Alejo, was a Cuban percussionist on the tumbadora, or conga drum, as well as a composer. He was important in the first generation of Afro-Cuban jazz. Wikipedia Died: February 4, 2008, Havana, Cuba Movies: Cumbite, Jane Bunnett: Cuban Odyssey: Spirits of Havana

Hey hi thanks so much for thèse Wonderfull tutorials it helps SO MUCH...when i saw the tropic of that tutorial i was hoping you'd show some of tata's signature triplet licks...what you actually did about 2min10 in the vidéo ! Really dope...+ There's tutorial dedicated to tata coming up next ! Thats axesome.

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

haha I'll show some of that on Thursday :)

@benvittonatto7462

6 жыл бұрын

A Percussion Life really dope bro

@benvittonatto7462

6 жыл бұрын

A Percussion Life hey hello how r u ;) i recorded à short clip using some stuff i learned from your great tutos thanks again ! Check it out kzread.info/dash/bejne/loh63JaRYJmaYLg.html

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

ben vittonatto good stuff man!!!

Cuba its the school thank you!

Great video my friend. And have you noticed that on the song Pedro Navaja by Ruben Blades, when the conga Pattern begins it makes that deep base sound before the slap. Manny people thought it was a kik drum but realy it is the conga. I believe it was played by Eddy Montalvo. Forgive me if im wrong. Blessings and keep up making this videos.

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

Oh Yea!!! That's probably the most infamous tumbao on a record. And yes you're right that's Eddie Montalvo... Maybe one day I'll break that tumbao down haha

i'm not a very good player ,just an amateur.I just can say that salsa ,latin jazz ,cuban music is powerfull and a very good music

He’s just hitting the one, must have been listening to some Funk

Hey there Eric, My name is Angel. I know you must be busy but I hope you have time for a quick story brother. I live in New London Connecticut. I am self learned conga player. Strictly as a hobby and family get togethers. I learned the few basic watching Giovanni videos. I started off about 10 years ago with a brand new set of crisp blue LP Matador 3 set congas. And although I didn't even have the basic tumbao down packed yet, I loved playing so much that shortly after I went nuts and picked up a 4 set of brand new Giovani Palladiums. $$$$ Saddly I went through a hardship and had to downgrade to some LP Performance series. I Enjoy your videos very much. you make it look so easy brother. Perhaps you cam help me out. Im still struggling a few rhythms and could use some pointers. I really would like to get the plane down packed. Could you help a brother out? Thankfully, Angel M Resto

tata guines the best conga ever hear and there miguel anga diaz check out his solo with irakeres i ve listen to alot conga play but anga at top am 76 year old and i ve seen alote of players MJSheker

In cuba we call it tumbadoras that's the place this instrument was born from tambor bantu o congo africa

En ocaciones levantas mucho la mano izquierda y eso es un defecto que tienes que superar. Todo lo demás excelente.Saludos.

Pone sub títulos también te siguen en Sudamérica

Tata = The reason i started with congas over the djembe (that and i live in Houston)

Oh,yes..Tata put the Goom-Bop in Goom-Bop......

You put a snippet of tata and he doesn’t stutter or keep the tips of his fingers in the air like your tutorial.

kzread.info/dash/bejne/n5WOu7aTocayiZc.html Ritmos Guason , Gozar Nino , Changui etccccccc para hacer tutorial de este video !!!

You have to grow your fingernails long and nod your head up and down to play like Tata Guines

Is it thursday yet? ... ... ... How about now?

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

Bongoman hahaha no not yet haha

Eso Fue Tata....Hahahahaha....u forgot the yaaaaaa....Si eso Fue Tata...

@APercussionLife

6 жыл бұрын

bongosabroso hahahahaha

2 minute video in 8 minutes and 40 seconds.

L I T

Hey there Eric, My name is Angel. I know you must be busy but I hope you have time for a quick story brother. I live in New London Connecticut. I am self learned conga player. Strictly as a hobby and family get togethers. I learned the few basic watching Giovanni videos. I started off about 10 years ago with a brand new set of crisp blue LP Matador 3 set congas. And although I didn't even have the basic tumbao down packed yet, I loved playing so much that shortly after I went nuts and picked up a 4 set of brand new Giovani Palladiums. $$$$ Saddly I went through a hardship and had to downgrade to some LP Performance series. I Enjoy your videos very much. you make it look so easy brother. Perhaps you cam help me out. Im still struggling a few rhythms and could use some pointers. I really would like to get the plane down packed. Could you help a brother out? Thankfully, Angel M Resto

@APercussionLife

4 жыл бұрын

Hello Angel... I have a bunch of videos here to help with a lot of the basics or refreshers to help improve the basics kzread.info/head/PLh2h6wFOqYztT7gyTQsD_yyMzN2ZYXRXt