Bongo drums are high-pitched percussion instruments. Bongo drums, often called bongos, are primarily used as rhythm instruments in Latin-American music, but they are also played in rock music and jazz.
Bongos are played in pairs attached at the center. One drum has a smaller diameter than the other to produce a higher-pitched sound. A thin covering of plastic or animal skin called the head is stretched tightly across the top opening of a cylindrical wooden shell. Musicians strike the head with the fingers or with the entire hand. They may also use sticks made of wood or felt.
Most musicians play bongos while sitting down. The drums are held between the player’s knees, with the larger drum on the right. In orchestras and concert bands, however, bongos are played while standing up, with the drums mounted on a stand.
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