7. Tuning

There are two distinctly different ways to tune the congas:

One method proceeds clockwise…

…while the other method is to tune alternating lugs, as recommended for tightening car wheel bolts.

The skin must be evenly tensioned so that each screw has about the same number of turns and degree of tension. If you’re uncertain, you can loosen the screws, then finger tighten them and begin again. Uneven tensioning will result in areas of the head that sound dead or respond differently. Once you’ve tuned one drum tune the others. The usual interval between drums is a third, a fourth or a fifth according to your preference and the music you play.

Try not to expose your drum to wide temperature changes or the head can break. If you must go from one extreme to the other, loosen the head before transportation to help protect it.