Conga Drum Mat - The Boom Boom Conga Mat projects a left and right silhouette. Kids love to tap and play the laminated Boom Boom Bongo and Congo Mat. Like the Bongo Mat, kids love to play along with recorded music or Boom Boom sing-alongs.

The Boom Boom Conga Mat projects a left and right silhouette. Kids love to tap and play the laminated Boom Boom Bongo and Congo Mat. Like the Bongo Mat, kids love to play along with recorded music or Boom Boom sing-alongs.

I’ve included a couple drum rudiments on the Congo Mat. These rudiments teach early learners left and right. It also improves motor skills.

The (2) rudiments are the Single and Double Stroke Roll. Quarter notes are the beat. The (3) examples are built inside repeat signs, which you can teach as music theory.

The top example is a single stroke roll, which starts with the left hand, followed by the right.

The center/middle is a single stroke roll starting with the right. The little hands in the boxes show the thumbs and fingers of the left and right hand.

I also use a metronome to reinforce listening and playing at different tempos.

The (3rd) example is called the double stroke roll. I teach this with the name MAMA DADDY ROLL. This is an old-school 60s drumming title for the double stroke roll.

This example is played starting with LEFT-LEFT followed by RIGHT-RIGHT. The repeat signs are very useful to teach with the double stroke roll. The hand images with the quarter notes reinforce the child’s knowledge of the beat.

I also use the bongo and conga mats with a metronome. This teaches listening skills at different tempos, BPM’s. The simplicity of the laminated Bongo and Conga mat is amazing.

(Color Coded System)

My color-coded system is used throughout my curriculum.

It’s based on the current colors of Boomwhackers and various similar bell and melodic instruments. MrMikes system teaches the Boomwhacker colors with lines and spaces of the Treble Clef.

My system also has quarter and eighth note ensembles with Boomwhackers, playing different quarter / eighth note beats.

Utilizing MrMikes method for sight-reading and rhythmic learning will advance your students skills at a higher level, and much quicker. You’ll be amazed at students sight-reading skills as they learn lines and spaces from the reinforced MrMike’s color system.

MrMikesMusicMats has 30+ color-coded mats in the curriculum that teach the theory of rhythm and melody. Including a minor scale, C diatonic scale, quarter note rhythms, chromatic scale, lines and spaces of the treble clef.

Conga mat

My conga mat is similar to the bongo mat, as it applies to students learning their Left & Right. They continue to express themselves by playing the mat. With the conga mat, I’ve added a few basic drum rudiments that you can teach the early learner. I also added repeat signs and quarter notes.

The two drum rudiments are the single and double stroke rolls. The double can also be taught as the Mama-Daddy roll to young learners. They like hearing the Mama-Daddy method. These are basic hand movement patterns that develop a young child’s coordination. The rudiments also reinforce their seeing and playing left and right.

 

* My Apple Keynote presentations have audio of drums-congas and bongos for the students to play along with. There is also animation to teach left and right.

I use my bongo and conga mats for 16 months and older. The mats will fit in their lap. Though the mats are pounded, they hold up. They can last as long as they’re playing them in their lap or the floor. When and if they start bending them, they will show wear and tear.

The bongo and conga mats can be printed single or double side. For ages 2 up, I like the option of printing the bongo or conga on one side-the C Diatonic mat on the other side. This makes it easy for you/the teacher to move from rhythm to melody. I start with the kids playing the bongo/conga mat / then have them turn the mat over and sing do re me / the c diatonic scale / numbers and colors, while using my Apple Keynote presentation on my iPad. The students can place their fingers on each note as they drop down to each pitch. You can click through this application-exercise at your pace.

www.mrmikesmusicmats.com